On Wings of Black
by Redaeth
Summary: Akane aquires a curse that causes everyone to fear and hate her --CHAPTER 9 is UP!
1. Prologue

I do not own any character's in Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
  
  
  
  
The Endless Night  
  
No Light to Guide Me  
  
No Moon to Cheer Me  
  
No Warmth Comfort Me  
  
A Starless Void  
  
  
  
  
  
A fourteen year old Tendo Akane stopped short of her home's gate, panting.  
  
She had expanded her training routine to deal with the annoying Kuno boy from high school. She knew the only reason she had been winning lately was because he was holding back on her.  
  
She was Tendo Akane of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, she would not be humiliated like this for long!  
  
She had practically quit most of her after-school activities to train and even managed to bludgeon her father into resuming training with her.  
  
This was her final run of the day, it was time to go to sleep and see if she had improved any.  
  
  
  
It was morning and she knocked on her sister's door. Today it was her turn to get up Nabiki; her sister definitely wasn't a morning person.  
  
Secretly Akane was grateful for her sisters; they had kept the Dojo and house running despite that their father hadn't worked since mother had died.  
  
Suddenly Akane had an idea; maybe she could get her father interested in teaching again!  
  
It would help out with the house and she could be a true heir of the Anything Goes School instead of a largely self-trained person.  
  
"Nabiki time to get up!" She yelled through the door and then smiled at her sister's mumbles.  
  
"Come on sis, breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes. Well I'm heading out for my morning jog."  
  
Hearing her sister's reply she ran out of the house going as fast and as hard as she could.  
  
As she once again neared her house she suddenly collapsed feeling twin sharp intense pains in her back. After a few minutes of writhing in agony on the ground the pain stopped as soon as it had appeared.  
  
After lying on the ground for a few minutes panting at the remembered pain she stood up slowly.  
  
"What was THAT?" After a few moments she shrugged she as stepped in the yard.  
  
"Tadaima!"  
  
"Hello Akane, breakfast is ready."  
  
  
  
After arriving home from school after decking an annoying boy she went to where her father was sitting.  
  
"Daddy, time for us to train again."  
  
The older man stood and said cheerfully. "Of course sweetheart."  
  
While her father showed her another kata she felt out her idea.  
  
"Daddy how do like teaching me?" She knew that this conversation would leave to a bout of tears yet this was the only way, maybe it would only take a month to get him to seriously consider teaching other students.  
  
"I feel fine about it daughter." The man said as he corrected her posture.  
  
"Would you consider teaching students in the Dojo again?" At her father's almost stricken expression she continued hastily before his tears could start.  
  
"I mean it would give me a chance to spar against someone other then myself." Her father immediately began to sob. The only words she could make out over her father's wail was  
  
"Reminds… Wife… I miss her so much."  
  
She smiled to herself as she continued to practice her kata, after this she would work on her bricks, she could smash through over twenty of them at a time now!  
  
Hmmm… maybe one of the reasons Kuno was better then her was that he was faster.  
  
She wondered what kind of speed training she could do.  
  
It was then when she felt her entire back erupt into pain and everything faded into blackness.  
  
  
  
She blinked twice and looked around.  
  
She was in the neighborhood clinic. She heard the cute doctor, Tofu Ono talking to someone through the door.  
  
"Sorry Tendo-San I have no idea why she screamed and collapsed, there is nothing physically wrong with her, though I will talk to her when she wakes."  
  
"WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH My baby is going to die!" She could hear the desperation in the young doctor's voice as he tried to calm her hyper- emotional father down.  
  
"She will be fine Tendo-San."  
  
"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH My baby is going to be alright!" Akane slowly shook her head at her father's antics, how would she ever get him to teach a successful class in the Dojo if he broke down like this all the time.  
  
"Doctor Tofu, Daddy, I'm up!" Akane called out.  
  
The door opened with Dr. Tofu and her father entering the small room.  
  
"How do you feel Akane?" That was the doctor, her father was still wailing about her apparent sickness.  
  
"Fine Doctor Tofu." She answered shyly, she knew it was silly to have a crush on someone ten years her senior but the young man had always been there to heal her.  
  
"Well why do you think you screamed out and collapsed this afternoon." The doctor asked cautiously.  
  
"I don't know one moment I was going through a kata, then my back felt like it was on fire." The doctor looked curious.  
  
"Could I take a look at your back Akane?" She nodded and took off her shirt lying back down on the examining table.  
  
"Where exactly on your back?"  
  
"Around my shoulder blades I think."  
  
She felt the doctor's hands probing her back and then stopped. "There is nothing wrong as far as I can tell Akane, Tendo-San."  
  
Slipping her shirt back on she spoke. "Thank you Doctor Tofu."  
  
"No problem Akane, if you feel anything else don't hesitate to call." The doctor called to the two as they walked out of the clinic.  
  
  
  
"Father I told you I'm alright, I want to learn some more kata's. I've mastered the ones you showed me already." Akane was standing in front of her father seething. It had been nearly a week since the two incidents and her father wouldn't train her anymore.  
  
"Not until I'm certain you are alright dear."  
  
She had had to settle for training by herself for the last week, working, pushing her body to new limits.  
  
Since she had no real idea how to get better speed she had to try and come up with new ways.  
  
Now she was just frustrated at her father's reluctance to teach her or anyone else.  
  
Stupid pain if it hadn't happened her father might have started classes again.  
  
She began to think of different ways to convince her father to teach her again, if her obvious results in her training didn't satisfy her father what would?  
  
Maybe she could think better after a nice long soak.  
  
Muttering under her breath about father's and their annoying over- protectiveness she stomped up the stairs.  
  
Reaching the furo she undressed and began to vigorously scrub herself with soap.  
  
While washing her thoughts turned back to the strange pains in her back she had felt a week ago.  
  
She had forgot to mention the first time she had to the doctor, but since it hadn't happened again she had decided it wasn't that important.  
  
After rinsing herself off she stepped into the furo.  
  
Letting the hot water relax her sore muscles she considered the problem of her father. Forty minutes passed and still no knew ideas came to her when her thoughts were interrupted by Kasumi's sweet voice.  
  
"Akane dinner is almost ready."  
  
"Be right out Kasumi!" She immediately started to get out of the furo and began to rub herself down with the large towel.  
  
Putting the towel down she grabbed a clean pair of panties and pants and slipped them on.  
  
She picked up a bra and began to hunt for a clean shirt when she whimpered.  
  
Dropping the bra as the pain in her back continued to get worse she whimpered louder.  
  
Falling down, she arched her back further in agony against the cool tiles and then began to scream.  
  
The pain increased, as did the strength of her scream. She was vaguely aware of the people around her asking what was wrong. It wasn't until the pain had grown to intolerable levels and then fade did the world disappear to her relief and sudden cessation of the pain.  
  
  
  
Once again she awoke to voices.  
  
"I'm sorry Tendo-San there is nothing physically wrong with your daughter, in fact all our tests show that she is in the best of health."  
  
She looked around; she vaguely recognized the room as one of those in Nerima General hospital from the time she had visited Sayura three years ago.  
  
The pain in her back was still there but it was tolerable. The doctor and her father turned at her whimper.  
  
"It hurts." She managed to gasp out.  
  
"Where?" The doctor was immediately by her side.  
  
"My back." She then whimpered as a new wave of pain overcame her.  
  
Studying her bare back the doctor gave a confused shrug, as far as he could tell the girl was fine, but he also could tell she was in considerable pain.  
  
"Can you walk Akane?"  
  
"Yes, just give me a second." After breathing in and out she stood; noticing that what she did didn't increase or decrease the pain she stretched.  
  
"How is it Akane?" The doctor was impressed by her mobility.  
  
"I can move around but it still hurts. Do you think I can go home? I want to continue my training!"  
  
The man chuckled at that. "You might as well young lady, I can't tell why you hurt, maybe when we get some of the tests back. I'll call you ok?"  
  
"Sure, thanks Doctor."  
  
The entire conversation was carried over Akane's fathers blubbering.  
  
The two men walked out of the room to give Akane some privacy to dress.  
  
After pulling on her clothes, wincing every-time the pain got stronger, then receded she left the room and took her father by the hand.  
  
"Come on daddy, let's go home."  
  
  
  
"How is the pain Akane?" Doctor Tofu asked, it was her twice-weekly checkups after the third attack. Three weeks had passed with the constant waves of pain lessening.  
  
"Nearly gone doctor, daddy doesn't believe me and won't let me go to school." The doctor chuckled at that.  
  
"Still practicing the Art Akane?"  
  
"Yes, but daddy won't teach me anything new, says he's worried enough as it is."  
  
The doctor moved to his chart and began writing. "Oh is that so, I might be willing to teach you a move or two."  
  
Akane brightened and then smiled at the doctor. "Really? You mean it?"  
  
"Yes, come on by tomorrow and I'll begin immediately."  
  
"Thank you Doctor Tofu!" Akane hopped off of the examining table and began to whistle as she headed for the door.  
  
Suddenly she stopped and gasped aloud her eyes widening in pain.  
  
"Akane? What's the matter?" She gave no reply as she whimpered and crumpled to the floor. Waves of pain growing steadily robbed her of her breath.  
  
Doctor Tofu watched her carefully studying her aura and trying to figure out what was wrong.  
  
He gasped out loud as her entire aura pulsed blue-black. The color fading to leave all but the shoulder blade area clears of the color until the next pulse.  
  
Akane's scream was cut off as she went unconscious. Doctor Tofu noted that the blue-black markings on her aura had faded completely away except for two tiny dots near her shoulder blades.  
  
  
  
"What happened?" Akane spoke groggily to Doctor Tofu who was sitting in front of her.  
  
"You had another attack Akane, and I think I might have a small clue on what is happening to you." Akane perked up at that despite the waves of pain she was still feeling.  
  
"Really what?"  
  
"When you collapsed I noticed your aura suddenly flash a very unusual color. A blue-black color to be precise, I have already began to contact my colleagues to help me on your case."  
  
"Thanks doctor, umm how long was I out?"  
  
"Only ten minutes, oh and your free to go Akane."  
  
"Thanks doctor." Akane began to walk home slowly grimacing at the pain she felt.  
  
Not really paying attention to her surroundings she walked towards her house, which was why when Kuno stepped in front of her she was surprised.  
  
"Beauteous Tigress, Fair Tendo Akane, I would date with thee!"  
  
"Excuse me upperclassman, not right now I have to get home."  
  
"Nay Fair one, I shall defeat thee in combat and then date with thee!" Kuno held his bokken up and got in to a ready stance.  
  
"I said not now." The pain she felt combined with her temper made her snap far earlier then usual when confronting the strange young man.  
  
She backhanded the bokken in front of her as hard as she could and began to move under Kuno's guard.  
  
Kuno didn't notice the enraged approach of Akane, as he was staring at his broken bokken, half of it had snapped cleanly off hard enough to puncture the stone wall beside the two teens.  
  
Then Akane punched him once, hard.  
  
The upperclassman was thrown back and landed in a heap twenty meters away.  
  
Akane sniffed once and turned the corner towards her house.  
  
  
  
Akane shifted unconformable by the table as she picked at her dinner.  
  
"Something wrong Akane?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"No." Akane spoke.  
  
"You sure?" Nabiki was fairly certain her little sister was in a great deal of pain.  
  
"Well, I did have another attack today, and the pain is getting worse not better." Akane was beginning to gasp.  
  
"Should I call doctor Tofu?" That was Kasumi.  
  
"That might be a good idea Kasumi." This time the words came out in a pained wheeze.  
  
"Oh My!"  
  
Their father was staring at Akane with horror as she stared at the table hunched over with unseeing eyes her breath coming in short desperate gasps for air.  
  
Just as Kasumi reached the phone Akane arched her entire body, abruptly standing up.  
  
Her head thrown back and her entire body quivering in pain she began to scream.  
  
The pitch and strength of the scream caused the entire family to clasp their ears; it was probably heard by the entire district.  
  
The pain grew and unnoticed by everyone the back of Akane's shirt began to bulge, as if something was pressing against it.  
  
The tearing sound of Akane's shirt went unnoticed as it blended into the scream as the two things protruding from her back destroyed her shirt.  
  
Her scream ending the Tendo's stared at the youngest daughter.  
  
"Akane?" That was Nabiki.  
  
As the young girl raised her blurry eyes at the girl; with as gasp Nabiki stepped back.  
  
Glowing gold eyes stared at her over an open mouth where two impossible long canines hung from her upper jaw.  
  
Her long blue-black hair now seemed to glow with unnatural vitality.  
  
Her entire figure had matured to look like she eighteen instead of her natural age of fourteen.  
  
But it wasn't that that scared the entire Tendo family.  
  
It was the two large blue-black wings sprouted from her back.  
  
"She looks like a demon." Nabiki whispered in a terrified tone.  
  
His daughter's words coupled with a remembered story and picture from an ancient scroll caused the Tendo patriarch to snap.  
  
"You killed Kumiko!" The man shouted.  
  
"You pretended to be our daughter! You stole my wife's life!" Tendo Soun grabbed a large katana off of the wall and swung at the girl.  
  
Confused by the absence of pain and strange sensations emitting from her back Akane gave out a startled scream and ran half-naked with Soun chasing her.  
  
"Come back here and die demon!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well what did you think of it so far? 


	2. Chapter One: Here's ... The Demoness Aka...

I own none of the characters from Ranma ½, they're maker was Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sunrise on a Cloudy Day  
  
The Light Begins  
  
Its Presence gives me Hope  
  
Promises of Warmth to Come  
  
Threats of Darkness Remains  
  
Rain To Ruin the Light  
  
Still I Hope  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane was sitting in the shadows near her former home nibbling on a piece of stolen meat and bread.  
  
It had been two years since that horrid day when her father had chased her out of the house, the only thing that had saved her that day was she was now faster, stronger and tougher.  
  
Even Doctor Tofu had turned her away, not even Kuno liked her now, instead he seemed to have turned his obsession from dating her to killing her.  
  
Finishing her meal she watched the shadows play across the yard.  
  
"FIANCÉ????!" The shout startled her out of her reverie.  
  
Those were her sisters!  
  
Akane's curiosity was invoked and she crept closer to the door to listen in, her enhanced hearing would prove useful to this she thought with a smirk.  
  
"…He has been travelling with his father on a training journey and recently went into China."  
  
"Ooh China."  
  
"I do hope he is older, younger men bore me."  
  
"Is he cute?"  
  
"I have no idea, I've never met him."  
  
The silence was deafening.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Daddy, you've engaged us to someone you've never met!"  
  
"That can be easily fixed." She heard her father chuckle.  
  
Listening carefully she heard a knock at the door.  
  
"We have visitors."  
  
That would be dear sweet Kasumi, too bad even she was scared of Akane.  
  
Akane's eyes narrowed at the sudden scream, she was preparing to defend her former family when she heard an unfamiliar voice.  
  
"Leggo ya old fool your scaring em spitless."  
  
"You wouldn't be…?" Her father.  
  
"I'm Saotome Ranma, sorry 'bout this."  
  
"I'm so happy!" There was a pause  
  
"'He' is a girl daddy." That slightly sarcastic tone would be Nabiki, good old Nabs.  
  
"Could you please not do that?"  
  
She heard a thump, that would be daddy of course, he never could handle emotional strain well.  
  
  
  
Akane watched the redhead interestedly, it wasn't everyday you find out your ex-sisters are engaged… to a girl none the less.  
  
Akane sniffed the air delicately trying to sort out the scents of the two visitors and nearly yelped in shock.  
  
They stank of magic!  
  
Magic even stronger then that sword she had stolen from Kuno, the damn thing glowed whenever she was within fifty meters of it.  
  
The girl and the panda were enchanted somehow.  
  
They would bear watching.  
  
She noticed her dad was stirring.  
  
"How could you engage us to a girl daddy." There was wonderfully sarcastic Nabs again.  
  
"I was positive Saotome's son was a boy."  
  
"Do these look like they belong on a boy daddy?" Nabiki was now poking the small girl's chest.  
  
"Please don't do that." The girl was quite almost meek.  
  
After Nabiki had stopped poking her she spoke grudgingly. "I guess you are our guests for a while Ranma, would you like to see our Dojo?"  
  
Akane saw the slight nod and followed the two out to the Dojo keeping to the shadows.  
  
When Nabiki passed her on the way back to the house she didn't notice Akane.  
  
Curiosity overcoming Akane she moved to the Dojo doors and peeked in.  
  
What she saw made her gasp, the girl was going through a kata, a highly complex one with leaps and bounds all over the dojo moving with a grace Akane never had witnessed before.  
  
The girl stopped "Someone there?"  
  
Cursing herself for her inattention Akane hopped to the house's roof from where she had been standing.  
  
She saw the redhead come out of the Dojo and look around.  
  
The redhead shrugged and then headed into the house.  
  
Below her Akane heard Kasumi speak. "You want to go into the furo Ranma?"  
  
"Ah no thanks."  
  
"You must be sweaty from the exercise, go on it's ok."  
  
"Sure." Akane smiled at the resignation in her voice.  
  
Akane wondered why the girl stank of magic, maybe she could find out more about her just be watching her.  
  
So thinking that Akane lightly ran across the roof towards the furo window.  
  
Well running she heard something snap and felt her outfit fall to the ground.  
  
"Dammit!" Akane would have to go steal another gymnastics outfit from one of the schools; they were the only things that allowed her wings full movement.  
  
Scowling at the ruined clothes she continued to the furo then gasped at the sight of a tall young man emerging from the furo.  
  
Her gasp alerted the young man to her presence and he turned and stared at her.  
  
Noting his stare she bared her teeth at him and unknowingly made her eyes flare bright gold.  
  
The young man blanched and ran out of the furo only stopping to grab his clothes.  
  
Down below she heard Nabiki's voice.  
  
"Who are you!"  
  
"I'm Saotome Ranma, sorry 'bout this." That wasn't Ranma that was a male.  
  
Thinking about that she blurred and was on top of the dining room roof.  
  
"This is my good old friend."  
  
"Saotome Genma." Another unknown voice.  
  
"And my son."  
  
"Saotome Ranma." The first unknown voice.  
  
"What happened to the girl Ranma?" Kasumi.  
  
"How am I going to explain this, aha I know!"  
  
Akane traced the form of this newest Ranma as he fell to the pond. Suddenly the scent of magic being used flowed over her.  
  
When Ranma emerged he was the she Akane had saw practicing in the Dojo.  
  
Transforming magic? Interesting.  
  
She ignored the boy and older man fight, knowing that the larger man must have been the panda, their normal forms didn't smell of magic, yet their cursed forms did.  
  
Interesting to say the least.  
  
Akane watched as the boy threw a bucket of water at the older man. The smell of his magic was slightly different then the boy's, though the overlaying scent was identical, must be the different forms they had.  
  
Akane's father's one-track mind snapped me out of my musings.  
  
"… So which one will you pick for your fiancé Ranma? My eldest daughter Kasumi, she's nineteen or my youngest daughter Nabiki she's seventeen."  
  
"Oh he wants Nabiki!"  
  
"WHAT? Like I would want some sex-changing boy."  
  
"Hey your no catch either, besides you probably prefer my girl form, you certainly felt me up enough."  
  
Akane grinned at that as she peeked over the edge of the roof in time to see her sister throw a heavy lamp at the girl's head as she turned away from the girl to stomp off.  
  
The only reason it hit her was because he saw Akane. She felt vaguely guilty for that as she watched the boy/girl crumple to the ground.  
  
Akane listened under the window they had put the girl/boy in.  
  
"You really should apologize to Nabiki for that comment Ranma, it was uncalled for."  
  
"Yea yea, by the way who was that strange winged chick?"  
  
"Winged chick?"  
  
"Ya she watched me in the furo and I saw her face when Nabiki got me with that lamp."  
  
She then barely heard the boy/girl mutter under his breath "She was cute though"  
  
He… He… He… thinks I was cu… cute? Were Akane's suddenly stuttering thoughts.  
  
"FATHER AKANE IS AROUND." I heard Kasumi get up and rush out of the room.  
  
"Kuso" Akane swore out loud.  
  
Suddenly Akane froze; the girl had managed to get in front of her!  
  
"What are you?" Was her question.  
  
"I don't know. I've been called mainly a demon since I grew these wings." Silently she thanked the gods that her wings could cover what the missing leotard couldn't!  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I have no idea, it's just that everyone seems to hate me now." Akane hung her head at that, she hated being hated.  
  
"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Akane suddenly glared at her.  
  
"Umm not that I was staring or nothing but isn't it chilly?"  
  
Akane smiled at his panicked reply. "If you must know my clothes got wretched and I haven't bothered to go steal a new set yet." She said her tone deliberately frosty.  
  
"Ah, would you like to have mine? I have spares."  
  
Akane blinked. Someone was being nice to her? The Demoness Akane?  
  
"Ah sure, I can only take the pants, most shirts don't really work."  
  
She quickly stripped off his pants and held them out to her.  
  
"Umm Thanks." Akane shyly slipped on the pants.  
  
This would be a big risk, she was setting herself up for a world of hurt, but maybe, just maybe it would work out.  
  
"Hi I'm Akane want to be friends?" Akane gave her a smile, her first real smile in two years.  
  
At her nod Akane would have leaped for joy, instead she heard the voices of her father and sister's.  
  
"Please don't believe what they say about me, I'll explain later. Bye" With that Akane leaped off the roof and spread her wings. Glad at least for the partial covering the pants afforded.  
  
  
  
Ranma Saotome was considering something as he listened to Tendo Soun's story.  
  
"My wife was in perfect health even after two perfect baby girls were born. Shortly after Nabiki's birth Kumiko became pregnant with a third child Akane. During the pregnancy she became increasingly weak and barely survived giving birth. She lasted three years before dying. After her death I became a shell of my former self I quit teaching and only taught Akane the basics of the Art, I quit even that when she reached seven. When Akane was fourteen she began to experience sharp pains in her back, which would cause her to become unconscious. After a month of those pains she one day sprouted wings, I recognized the golden eyes, fangs and wings as a type of demon who steals the life of unborn children and mothers."  
  
Soun's eyes glowered. "Obviously the creature had decided to move on to another victim, but for some reason she is unable to leave the area."  
  
Ranma nodded at this. He had his doubts though; the girl seemed surprised and pleased when he had offered the pants.  
  
Her smile had been genuine and definitely not evil.  
  
But Tendo-San's story was convincing.  
  
Well he would talk to Akane later; maybe she would explain things.  
  
  
  
Ranma awoke like always in the air, subconsciously already dodging his fathers strikes. His father had probably decided he needed extra training to deal with the demon.  
  
His speculations were already proven to be true when his father spoke as he attacked.  
  
"Boy, since even Tendo hasn't been able to kill this demon I'm going to be taking you on a training trip to teach you my two most deadly set of techniques. Until we actually go we will work extra hard on toughening your body and increasing both your speed and strength in BOTH forms."  
  
He was serious about this. Especially with his father talking about training his cursed form.  
  
He must trust Tendo-San a lot.  
  
After thirty minutes of intense training, half of it he was a she they both heard something that made them stop cold.  
  
"Breakfast!"  
  
Both Saotome's seemed to teleport to the table.  
  
"This looks wonderful Kasumi."  
  
"Why thank you Saotome-San." Both Saotomes began to perform their vacuum- like eating style, trying to grab food off of each other's plates.  
  
After finishing the elder Tendo spoke "Ranma you will be attending school, you do need a proper education to run a Dojo you know."  
  
"School? Do I havta?"  
  
"Yes boy, Tendo is right. Proper schooling is important to running a Dojo." Genma tried to look stern and wise, all he managed was a vaguely constipated look.  
  
"But I don't have any supplies." Wordlessly Ranma's father handed him a bag.  
  
"I don't know where it is."  
  
"That's easily fixed. Nabiki? Nabiki where are you?" Soun began to look around.  
  
"She already left father." Came the call of Kasumi from the living room.  
  
"Well Ranma turn left at the gate, go down three blocks then turn right. Go straight down that way and there will be the school in five blocks." Soun turned around.  
  
"Hurry or you'll be late, I've already registered you."  
  
"Alright, alright I'll go."  
  
Mumbling about stupid fathers and stupid school he ran out of the door. Hopping onto the fence he began to run.  
  
After taking the turn he jumped onto the wire fence besides the canal.  
  
He was surprised when he felt water splashing him and lost his balance.  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"Stupid curse."  
  
"Where are you going Ranma?" He looked up at the sound of the slightly cheerful voice.  
  
"Oh heya Akane, just going home to get some hot water. Can't go to school like this." The girl was perched on top of the rooftop smiling down at her as she gestured at her body.  
  
"There is hot water at the school, you don't want to be late do you?" Akane laughed gently.  
  
"I guess not, thanks Akane."  
  
"No problem Ranma, talk to you after school?"  
  
"Sure." With that Ranma jumped back on the fence and began running.  
  
Akane shook her head still laughing. -What a strange boy- she thought, -Nice though. -  
  
  
  
As Ranma entered the schoolyard a tall young man with a bokken blocked her path in hand.  
  
"Fair one hold, may I enquire as what 'tis your name?"  
  
Ranma a bit flustered by the archaic speak stammered "Huh? Me? Well my name is…"  
  
"Yes it is customary to give ones own name first, very well then. I am this high schools kendo champion and best fighter at this school. My name is Kuno Tatewaki also known by my peers as the Blue Thunder of Furinken High, age seventeen."  
  
"Umm well I'm Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts, pleased to meetcha."  
  
"So thou is a member of that formidable School, Saotome Ranma I would date thee." Ranma looked queasy.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"I challenge thee to a match and should you win we shall date." Ranma began to look furious as well as green.  
  
"I said I DON'T WANT TO DATE YOU." Ranma blurred and kicked the kendoist as hard as she could.  
  
"Pigtailed… Goddess…" Kuno collapsed into unconsciousness against the wall he had hit.  
  
"Pathetic Kuno baby." Came Nabiki's voice as she looked down at him.  
  
Ranma watched as the girl began to drag Kuno towards the school.  
  
Grumbling under her breath she hiked her pants up and began to look for some hot water.  
  
A few minutes later she found a restroom and entered.  
  
Turning on the hot water tap she waited for it to heat up, not noticing the two guys entering the restroom.  
  
"You do know this is the guy's bathroom right?" Came the voice from behind her as she pored the cupped water over her head.  
  
"Huh?" He turned around and saw two guys gaping at him. "Whatcha want?"  
  
They didn't answer and after waving his hand in front of their eyes he shrugged and left the restroom, he had to find out where his class was.  
  
  
  
Ranma grumbled to himself as he waited for class to end. After waiting in the hall for ten minutes carrying buckets for being late he had managed to stay awake most of the day, despite almost nodding off three times.  
  
School was boring but he thought Tendo-San might have a point, he would have ignored his father if Soun hadn't agreed with him.  
  
With the ring of the bell he immediately jumped out of the window, glad to be free of imprisonment.  
  
Hopping from roof to roof he began to look around for Akane.  
  
Stopping briefly he wondered out loud "Where is she?"  
  
"Behind you." Ranma gave a startled squeak and turned around to see Akane's grin.  
  
"How'd you do that?" Ranma gasped out; "I didn't even feel your presence."  
  
"Something I learned from watching Doctor Tofu, it's useful for getting meals and avoiding demon hunters."  
  
"Doctor Tofu? Demon HUNTERS?" Ranma's voice rose on the last one.  
  
"Doctor Tofu is the local chiropractor, he's quite good and he is infatuated with Kasumi. I used to have a crush on him before _this_ happened." She gestured to herself.  
  
"As for the demon hunters, well whatever I am seems to set off demon sensors, I had to steal a sword off of Kuno because he used it to find three of my hideouts before I grabbed it. Luckily most demon hunters only have items that detect things when people are in danger."  
  
She shook her head. "So what you want to talk about?"  
  
"Umm tell me about what your life was like."  
  
"Well, I'll start at the beginning." Steeling herself for disappointment and rejection she began to talk.  
  
"My mother died when I was three so I don't really have any memories of her. My earliest memories are that of my dad teaching me the Art. When I reached seven Nabiki had a small car accident and this caused my father to complete his breakdown from when my mother died. He stopped functioning really. Since I loved the Art I continued to practice it on my own but since I didn't really have any idea what to do I was largely self-taught. I also had an unstable temper that got me into a lot of fights otherwise I had a normal childhood. After I turned fourteen I began to experience sharp pains in my back which caused me to black out. Then _these_ sprouted" She pointed to one of her wings.  
  
"Anyway after my dad chased me off shouting about how I… I… Killed mother I was desperate. Even Doctor Tofu was scared of me and tried to attack me. About a week after I started hiding I discovered everybody and everything was scared of me, if they didn't run away they would attack me." Akane sniffled.  
  
"It was horrible, I had to sneak around to even get food. Even if I wore sunglasses and hid my wings they would be scared. Kuno then started chasing me around to kill me with a strange glowing sword. He would call me vile temptress and succubus. I was actually lucky Kuno was the first demon hunter I encountered, he gave me valuable experience, and I would have died the first time I encountered real demon hunters. Even with the experience I nearly did."  
  
She shook her head to clear the bad memories. "Enough about me. Tell me about your life."  
  
"Well I left on a ten-year training journey when I was six. I barely remember my mother. We traveled quite a lot and I rarely got a chance to make friends. My first friend was a boy named Ukyo, I called him Ucchan and he called me Ranchan." Ranma smiled at the memory then shook his head.  
  
"Anyway two years ago we went into China then about two months ago we came to Jusenkyou…" Akane interrupted his story.  
  
"I heard this part, I listened to you two explain it last night."  
  
"Oh, well anyway after chasing Oyaji for a few hours I headed back to the Guide's hut where I discovered that thing about hot and cold water. Oyagi hired the Guide to take us out of the valley. After receiving a kiss of death from this strange Amazon girl we headed here."  
  
"Kiss of death?" Akane looked curious.  
  
"Ya, apparently if an outsider defeats an Amazon she has to kill him, even if it takes chasing the outsider to the ends of the earth. We had to hide almost once a week when she caught up to us."  
  
"Sounds like you've had an interesting life Ranma." She grinned and Ranma snorted indelicately.  
  
"Well that's the basics of my life, I might tell ya the rest later." Then Ranma decided to use the Saotome Ultimate Technique Open Mouth, Insert Foot  
  
"So you aren't evil are ya?"  
  
Akane looked indignant and bopped the boy on the head.  
  
"No I am not evil, everyone just thinks that. The evilest thing I've done is steal clothes and food. And the only reason I do that is I can't approach anyone for a job without them screaming and running away."  
  
She then hesitated. -Should I mention _that_? Technically killing someone is evil, but they were about to begin raping that poor girl. They also had raped and killed two others -  
  
Pushing the thought out of her mind she turned onto a more pleasant topic.  
  
"I saw you practicing in the dojo, you want to spar? You might be good enough to fight me without getting seriously hurt!" Ranma looked hesitant.  
  
"What, are you scared of fighting me?"  
  
"Hey I'm not scared of anything!" Ranma was indignant  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"I don't like hitting girls."  
  
"Ranma, I'm no ordinary girl. See this?" She was pointing to a scar on her right bicep.  
  
"Kuno nearly cut off my arm when he trapped me in a building, it was completely healed within an hour." Ranma's eyes got wide at that.  
  
"So I ask you again, do you want to spar?"  
  
At his nod she gave him her brightest smile and grabbed his arm. "C'mon I know a great place, its completely surrounded by buildings and no one can see in it."  
  
Ranma gave off a yelp of surprise as Akane lifted him into her arms and leapt off the roof spreading her wings wide.  
  
"YAAAAAAAA" After receiving an amused glance from his ride he began to enjoy the feeling of moving through the air.  
  
To Ranma this was almost as good as roof hopping.  
  
After the brief and enjoyable ride Akane landed in a large grassy clearing that was in between three buildings and a ten-foot high concrete wall.  
  
"This place used to be used by workers during there off break from that building. After the owner went bankrupt this lot hasn't been used and someone who had it condemned bought the building. I use it as my weekend hideout." She said to his questioning glance.  
  
"The only way to get to it is through the roof, all the ground entrances and windows have been boarded up."  
  
"Well shall we?" At Ranma's nod Akane got into a classic kempo stance. Ranma slightly adjusted his own stance and waited for her first move.  
  
Akane accepted the invitation and charged.  
  
"WHOA!" Akane's speed impressed Ranma, she was faster then him, a lot faster, the only thing that allowed him to dodge was that she was telegraphing her moves.  
  
Cautiously Ranma felt out her defenses with a few punches, they were a lot of holes there but she didn't even acknowledge those that got through.  
  
Ranma was encouraged to go full out against this girl. Grinning at the challenge she presented he began to use his full acumen at the Art.  
  
For an hour they danced, parried and struck out in the abandoned park. Akane was left panting on the ground, much of her blows spent on empty air. Ranma was lying on the ground near her bruised on almost every inch of his body, the strikes Akane had gotten through had hurt.  
  
Both of their bruises were healing at a visible rate though Akane's were already almost gone. Ranma's would be gone by tomorrow morning.  
  
"Great fight 'Kane." Ranma panted out.  
  
"Ya Ranma, great fight, I'm glad you aren't a demon hunter I would be in trouble otherwise."  
  
"Tell ya what Akane, you help me train in my speed and strength and I'll teach ya the Art so you don't have ta worry so much about demon hunters."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really, after all what are friends for?" At that careless comment Akane gave a beautiful smile and then grabbed Ranma in a bone-crunching hug.  
  
"C-a-n'-t Br-e-ea-a-a-th" Ranma managed to get out.  
  
"Oh sorry Ranma, thanks again, see you around." Akane smiled once again flexed her wings and jumped up thirty meters and flapped her wings sending a powerful gust of wind down at Ranma. Hovering she waved and took off.  
  
"See you tomorrow Ranma, Come back here at the same time tomorrow and we'll spar again!"  
  
  
  
Ranma hopped roof to roof whistling cheerfully. He had a new friend, someone who was a challenge in the Art and liked him despite his curse.  
  
Leaping down into the Tendo's yard he was immediately beset by his father.  
  
"Where have you been boy? We have training to do."  
  
"I've been sparring pop, he was pretty good, stronger and faster then me, though not as skilled in the art as I was."  
  
Genma looked at his son. "You won of course, didn't you?"  
  
"Naw, it was a tie, we decided to help each other out, I'd help him in the Art and he'd help me get my strength and speed up, we're meeting again tomorrow." Ranma figured a little lie, such as the exact gender and species of his friend wouldn't hurt. His father was always harping on how weak girls were.  
  
HA as if they hadn't been chased scared by some girl throughout China, and Akane definitely wasn't weak.  
  
Hell even his girl-form was almost as strong as his guy form. Faster then it too.  
  
These thoughts continued as his father began to start his speed and strength training, along with the annoying lecture on how he should ALWAYS win.  
  
Shrugging at the weights his father had attached to his body his began to push himself to move as fast as he could without losing any iota of control and precision in his form.  
  
  
  
Genma stared at the twin scrolls in his hands. He had sworn never to use these again until his heir was ready for the responsibility they represented.  
  
The Umi-Sen-Ken and the Yama-Sen-Ken were the ultimate in killing styles, he had banished them because they were as dangerous to they're user as to they're opponent, now… he had no choice their was a demon out there who was stronger and faster then his friend Soun.  
  
Someone who had killed his friends wife.  
  
Someone who had killed six men who were trying to save three little girls from rape and murder.  
  
It was then he glanced out the window and he saw her.  
  
She was strolling along a roof, wings barely visible.  
  
If he hadn't been looking for them he wouldn't have noticed them.  
  
That wasn't what had alerted him to her nature; no it was the sheer evil and vileness that radiated off her. Worse then the master she was.  
  
When she turned her head and looked at him he was frozen in fear. Those glowing eyes seemed to promise torture and death if he neared her.  
  
Always a coward at heart his gaze turned away and once again vowed his son _would_ kill that demon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well first chapter is done; you will learn more of Akane's history as we go on. Next chapter lets meet Ryoga! 


	3. Chapter Two: Here kitty.. kitty... kitty

Ranma ½ is the property of Rumiko Takahashi  
  
  
  
-Thoughts-  
  
~ Demon Speech ~  
  
Which Way?  
  
One End has Light and Peace  
  
The Other Darkness Eternal  
  
Which Way?  
  
Left or Right?  
  
Up or Down?  
  
I cannot see my Way  
  
I Am Blind  
  
So  
  
Which Way?  
  
  
  
Akane turned her head away in shame and losing some hope at the fear in Ranma's father's face.  
  
- So it wasn't Jusenkyou. Damn, I doubt I could be cured that way then. -  
  
Her nose twitched slightly.  
  
Demon stench.  
  
She looked around her eyes beginning to glow brightly as she sought out the source of the smell.  
  
Not far off a small building had an aura of creeping black around it.  
  
Akane had warned them, most Demons stayed away from Nerima, and it was HER territory.  
  
Besides…  
  
She was hungry.  
  
  
  
~ Hello little Demon. ~ She said in singsong, the language of demons rolling melodically off her tongue unlike the gravelly quality most demons affected. Her face was a mask of cold indifference as she looked around.  
  
~ Demoness Akane. ~ The squeak of terror made her laugh, low and cruel.  
  
~ Little Demon I warned your kind, Nerima is Mine, Juuban is yours and the rest of Tokyo is a free-for-all. ~  
  
~ But Demoness Akane, Juuban is Senshi territory. ~  
  
~ I know, that's why I offered it. ~  
  
~ But that isn't fair! All the rest of Tokyo has Lords; new demons can't establish rights there! ~  
  
"Oh but Little Demon, I know, I killed a Lord in another district last month, he was ~ Delicious ~ " She could feel the creature shudder.  
  
~ You know Little Demon I hate zombies, you like zombies I can tell. ~ She sighed.  
  
~ They are already dead and the magic animating them is SO hard to get out, it's like a piece of meat stuck in between your teeth. The only thing that's worse then zombies, are those who MAKE zombies. ~ The demon's whimpering was growing louder as she examined the soulless corpses manning the store.  
  
She touched the first zombie and watched it fall down, it's body hardly decayed at all. The other two followed.  
  
~ Though I have to admit you did do well on preserving these. Your what? A demi-Lord? Well too bad. ~  
  
She added the hunger she felt in her voice. "I would have preferred a Lord, ~ You will have to do! ~"  
  
Finally she spoke in proper Demon, adding the sound of huge boulder's grinding together into her voice. ~ Die Little Demon! ~  
  
"Dark." Light began to gather in her cupped hands.  
  
"Crimson." The ball grew in size and darkened to the color of arterial blood.  
  
"STRIKE!"  
  
The light shot out of her hands moving quickly yet seemed to flow like a river of blood, the chair in the way was ignored, the light swirling around it like the liquid it resembled.  
  
When it struck the frozen clot of darkness there was a large shriek as the light tore away at the protective shadow, revealing the multi-legged abomination. Then the blast also dissolved that.  
  
Her strike having destroyed the true body of the demon leaving it's essence behind dissipated.  
  
A voice spoke from where the Demon had stood.  
  
~ Mercy Demoness Akane, I beg mercy. ~  
  
~ Mercy? I'm going to be blamed for these three's deaths; I might as well take your life so you can't place the blame on me anymore! I hate being blamed you know… I was blamed for my mother's death! By my father! Then there were those poor kids, I kill those bastards who had a demon rape and murder them and what happens? I get blamed for the kid's deaths and the six Necromancers are awarded as heroes! The list goes on and on, I seemed to be blamed for ALL supernatural activity around here. ~  
  
She sighed theatrically. ~ At least there were three _yummy_ demons, not very filling, but very tasty. ~  
  
~ Please? ~  
  
~ No. ~ Akane the Demoness, Eater of Demons, Bane of All, moved closer and began inhale the demon's essence slowly.  
  
The screams continued throughout the night.  
  
  
  
Akane was thinking as she flew high above Nerima, maybe she had become a little jaded with death, she had treated the three poor people who had died with only a little sympathy and had actually enjoyed making the demon scream.  
  
Was she turning into one of them?  
  
Was she actually becoming the Demoness Akane everyone feared and hated?  
  
Maybe Ranma hadn't come a moment too soon. Akane desperately needed a friend.  
  
Someone she could talk to.  
  
Maybe if she gradually told him her story he would understand.  
  
If not maybe he could at least be there for her.  
  
A friend.  
  
She had a friend.  
  
Akane's melodious laughter rang through the air, her magic twisting it and making the laugh sound cruel and filled with menace.  
  
Children woke crying and ran to their parents.  
  
Lovers shivered and held one another.  
  
A panda cringed and curled into a ball fearfully awaiting death.  
  
Shadows watching Nerima shrank back in fear.  
  
One young man smiled at the joy in the laugh while dreaming pleasant dreams for once not of those of cats in a pit biting, and scratching.  
  
  
  
Ranma grumbled, somehow the hot water had been shut off. Even the teakettle had gone missing.  
  
Glancing at her 'fiancée's' face she had a sneaking suspicion on just who was responsible for this.  
  
She would have to get hot water at the high school again. Maybe deal with the Kuno guy. If that guy thought he was going to hit on her again she would show him the error of his ways.  
  
Maybe she could get him interested in Nabiki, those two deserved one another!  
  
Laughing at the thought she ran out of the door grabbing a bento from Kasumi and yelling her thanks.  
  
Still laughing she ran along the fence occasionally bouncing off the houses on the opposite side.  
  
"What is so funny?"  
  
He turned his head and saw Akane leisurely flying alongside him.  
  
"Just thinking on how to get Kuno and Nabiki together." Akane smiled at that.  
  
"Why do you say that."  
  
"They both seem to be pains." Akane laughed at that. "You coming to spar after school Ranma?"  
  
"Yep, wouldn't miss it for the world, mind if we talk first though I wanna hear more of your experiences."  
  
"Sure Ranma, as long as you do the same!"  
  
"Ja!"  
  
"Ja ne!"  
  
Rounding the corner Ranma put on a burst of speed and managed to get into the gates just as the ten-minute warning bell rang.  
  
"Fair pig tailed goddess, I would date with thee!"  
  
Ranma groaned. "I should have known"  
  
Ranma leaped into the air and did a classic spin-kick, slamming the older boy into the same spot he had hit yesterday, in the exact same position.  
  
"Nothing but wall!" She grinned.  
  
Ranma headed for the restroom and saw the same two guys outside.  
  
"Heya." Ranma waved as she opened the door not noticing their stares. A few seconds later they're eyes bulged out of their sockets as he emerged.  
  
"C'ya around guys."  
  
  
  
Just as he predicted class was once again boring, at least he didn't have to stand out in the hall.  
  
Boring or not he was determined to do well, he's show his pop he could run a Dojo.  
  
At lunch he sat under a tree that everyone seemed to avoid as he listened to the other students conversations.  
  
"Did you hear that the Demoness Akane killed three people last night?"  
  
"Ya, though Doctor Suki thinks it was a different demon that did it and the Demoness Akane killed it for invading her territory, I hear she's very territorial."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"You never know."  
  
Ranma's eyebrows raised at that. Maybe he'd ask her later, or he could wait until Akane brought it up when she talked with him after school.  
  
"Psst." Ranma looked around at that.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Ranma look up!" Ranma did so and his eyes widened at the sight of Akane's smiling face above him, her big gold eyes twinkling in amusement at him.  
  
"Akane? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I like to watch the people go by, people avoid this tree because I always sat here when I was normal."  
  
"Hmmm, so ya hear what people are talking about?" He began to probe to see if she would talk.  
  
"Yes, they are partially right I don't like demon's coming into Nerima, I could have banished it back to wherever it came from but I don't do that."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"I ate it"  
  
Ranma's eyes widened. "You ate it? Why."  
  
"Yep, as to why, well I was hungry." She grinned at his flabbergasted expression.  
  
"Couldn't you have stolen a sandwich or somethin?" Akane laughed again.  
  
"Sorry, about that but, this was a different type of hunger. I can't live on food and water alone anymore." Ranma was looking at her wide-eyed.  
  
"What DO you need to eat besides food and water." Ranma's tone was somewhat shaky.  
  
"Unbalanced chi." At his confused expression she explained fully aware that the bell would ring the first warning in seven minutes.  
  
"You see most humans have extremely well balanced chi, when their chi becomes sufficiently unbalanced they die unless they have tons of it. Humans just never have enough unbalanced chi. Demons on the other hand are born unbalanced, and grow more and more unbalanced as they grow more powerful, the truly unbalanced ones that can still come to our world are known as Lords. Lords are fairly uncommon since only the most powerful sorcerers can summon them."  
  
She glanced at the clock  
  
"Lords to me are precious as gold, since they allow me to exist at full power for thirty days. If you want I'll tell you how I discovered I needed unbalanced chi to survive after school."  
  
Ranma nodded still a bit dazed at her explanation. He knew that he wouldn't be a paying any attention to class this afternoon.  
  
  
  
Ranma glance at the clock still thinking about what she had said. Basically she said she ate the demon's chi, that would mean the demon was still alive when she ate them!  
  
He shuddered at the thought.  
  
His eyes narrowed, she had said nothing about good and evil, just balanced and unbalanced chi. Then what caused unbalancing in chi?  
  
Saving that question for Akane he wondered how unbalanced his own chi was.  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and slipped into a meditative trance, he had learned this one from some monks in a temple in southern Japan, which allowed to him to access and direct his chi to enhance his body.  
  
Breathe in.  
  
Breathe out.  
  
Breathe in.  
  
Breathe out.  
  
In his mind eye the similar ball of light he saw every time he did this appeared. Instead of just focusing on it to become one with his body he examined it.  
  
  
  
It was largely uniform a gentle glowing ball of light blue. Looking closer at the slowly revolving ball of light he could see occasional discolorations.  
  
His meditative state was almost halted when he saw one place; he saw one large discoloration and the feelings he got from it were pure confidence.  
  
It was if his confidence was unbalancing his chi.  
  
With a rare flash of insight he amended that, not confidence, overconfidence!  
  
Maybe he could solve this on his own. He could feel the growing power in the unbalanced chi, yet Akane had said Demon's liked unbalanced chi.  
  
He could also sense that he was actually channeling his balanced chi, if he balanced his chi he would be able to become even better in the Art!  
  
Maybe if addressed his feelings over overconfidence he could smooth out the discoloration.  
  
Slipping deeper into the trance he addressed himself.  
  
Normally Ranma wasn't this self-aware of himself besides his body.  
  
He had been taught his emotions weren't important to the Art, so they should be ignored.  
  
But if certain _emotions_ were causing him to be less then what he could be, then he couldn't ignore them. He could also sense some emotions were actually helping him to channel his chi better.  
  
Like his newfound friendship with Akane.  
  
The competitiveness of sparring with her.  
  
The feeling of wanting to help her improve in the Art.  
  
All these subtle feeling helped him achieve a better balance.  
  
So why was he overconfident?  
  
Like usual it was all his father's fault!  
  
He had been taught that he had been the best, was the best, and he would always be the best.  
  
He acknowledged that these feelings were deep-rooted.  
  
It would take time to convince himself otherwise. The first was obviously not true; his father had been better then him for most of his life.  
  
The second was also spoiled by his father's revelation that he had been holding back on Ranma most of his life.  
  
But the third…  
  
Well Saotome Ranma was determined to be the best.  
  
And he would be the best!  
  
He felt his overconfidence begin to disappear, replaced by confidence…?  
  
What was the difference?  
  
He realized why, he had always been confident of exactly what his body could do, since Jusenkyou that belief had been shattered because his body did something he didn't want it to.  
  
His overconfidence had stemmed from the fact that he had been habitually beating his father since he was twelve.  
  
Now that he had established it didn't matter what shape he was in, thanks to him actually beating his father in sparring this morning in girl-form and knowing intimately just how his body responded while in that shape his confidence had been restored.  
  
Ranma couldn't wait to spar with Akane.  
  
Just as he was slipping out of his trance he saw something in his chi that chilled him to the bone.  
  
It was small, maybe the size of a pinhead in his minds-eye.  
  
It was pitch black.  
  
And it reminded him of the Pit.  
  
He could hear the yowls.  
  
He could feel the tearing, the scratching the furry small bodies and sharp claws and teeth.  
  
He could smell the fish-sausage.  
  
His only response?  
  
"C-C-C-CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT"  
  
The entire class stared at Ranma as he screamed and their eyes bulged as he ran… Straight through a wall.  
  
He couldn't escape… he couldn't escape… he couldn't escape…  
  
No matter how fast he ran the cats were there.  
  
The glowing eyes, the yowls of hunger.  
  
Shivering he curled up into a ball.  
  
Unknowing to his surroundings.  
  
Under a bridge.  
  
Ranma slipped deeper into the Pit.  
  
  
  
To say Akane was startled when Ranma came bounding on all fours across the street meowing like a cat was an understatement.  
  
She stopped and landed on the roof opposite from him.  
  
Ranma-neko stopped and cocked his head at her. With two leaps Ranma was on top of Akane which bowled her over and nearly knocked her off the roof.  
  
When Akane was about to smack her new friend on the head she noticed Ranma was actually purring.  
  
It was a real purr, like it would come from a cat!  
  
Wondering why her friend was acting like a cat her eyes flashed gold.  
  
What she saw startled her.  
  
It was a Shadow.  
  
A Shadow had bonded itself to her friend!  
  
Wondering why a Cat Shadow had chosen a human for its avatar she didn't know but she began to try to pry it away, she wanted a human to talk to not a cat with a man's body!  
  
This Shadow's bonding was old, almost ten years. She cursed.  
  
It would be impossible to remove it without killing her friend also.  
  
What was worse was the Shadow had begun adding Jusenkyou's magic with it's own. Cure Jusenkyou and the Shadow would die, and with it, Ranma.  
  
She didn't have many encounters with Shadows; they usually were fairly balanced and based themselves on a particular animal and emotion.  
  
She could tell this one was Cat and Fear.  
  
She did know that if Ranma could master both the Cat and the Fear the Shadow would meld with him.  
  
If he didn't meld with the Shadow there could be some trouble for him; some beings didn't like Shadows. They were too powerful for they're own good, and they were highly noticeable to most demons. Since they basically were they're hosts in memories and feelings they could be dangerous bonded to the right or wrong person.  
  
Since she attracted a lot of supernatural powers to the area his mere presence and her friendship could be a problem.  
  
Maybe the Shadow would talk to her, after all it did bond to a human, it might not be wholly Cat.  
  
~ Little Shadow can you understand me? ~  
  
She watched in fascination as shadow coalesced around Ranma, taking on the vague form of a cat, she could barely see Ranma through the Shadow.  
  
She saw the Cat sniff at her, still purring in her lap.  
  
~ Friend is Demon? ~ The voice came from the Shadow, not Ranma.  
  
Pleased that the Shadow could talk she smiled and replied. ~ I have been called a Demon, but I am not, I treat Demons as prey Little Shadow. ~  
  
~ Ooh Friend is Hunter of the Hunters! All Fear the Hunter! Why not Host? ~  
  
~ Maybe because of you Little Shadow. ~  
  
The Shadow seemed to think at that.  
  
~ No, would only cause Host to fear Hunter less then normal. ~  
  
Akane thought a bit for another reason.  
  
~ The only other thing I can think of is Jusenkyou Little Shadow. ~  
  
~ Pools of Sorrow? Yes, yes Death Magic strong, it cancel out Fear Magic when Neko-Ken is present. ~ The Shadow grinned at solving the mystery.  
  
~ Neko-Ken? ~  
  
~ Is name Human's gives self, I am one of the thirteen Shadows of Neko-Ken. Others join me in Host, this Host is strong! Pools of Sorrow make stronger! ~  
  
This alarmed Akane, she had never heard of more then one Shadow bonding to the same person.  
  
~ What will happen to Ranma if all thirteen join Little Shadow? ~  
  
~ Nothing Hunter, Host will be able to fully bond with Neko-Ken with all thirteen! ~  
  
Akane was somewhat placated, she would watch and see what would happen to her friend.  
  
~ Host is waking Hunter. Talk later yes? Friend with Neko-Ken as well as Host? ~  
  
~ Yes Little Shadow friends. ~  
  
The Shadow seemed to nod once, smile and dissipate.  
  
Ranma groaned.  
  
"Hello Ranma, how are you?"  
  
"A-A-kane? Where are the c-c-cats?" Ranma had leapt out of her lap and was looking around fearfully.  
  
"No cats Ranma. Ranma I think I have some bad news for you."  
  
She proceeded to tell him of her suspicions of that the only cure for Jusenkyou would be death.  
  
"No, damn."  
  
"I'm afraid so Ranma, though there is one good thing about your curse."  
  
He replied, nearly spitting out the words. Still downcast of the news that he would be stuck as a girl at least part-time for the rest of his life. "Like what?"  
  
"It allows you to not hate me Ranma."  
  
Ranma's head jerked up. "Huh?"  
  
"Ranma, thanks to your Shadow and Jusenkyou you are canceling out the magic that makes me feared and hated by everyone."  
  
Ranma could hear the capitalization on the word Shadow and wondered what she meant.  
  
"Shadow?"  
  
"Shadows are beings that can only survive if they are in a host with a set time limit before they die out after their current host dies. Usually they exist in the back of their hosts mind only coming out when certain conditions are met."  
  
"You mean like me and c-c-c-cats?"  
  
"Yes, it's pretty much the Shadow controlling your body while you're asleep from the fear."  
  
"So the Neko-Ken isn't an ultimate martial arts technique, Oyagi no baka."  
  
"Ultimate martial arts technique?" Akane wondered what he was talking about.  
  
"Ya, he read it in this training manual. It goes something like this: Take trainee and wrap in fish sausage, throw trainee in pit of starving cats, repeat until trainee learns Neko-ken."  
  
Akane's eyes were wide in horror, no wonder Ranma was scared of cats!  
  
"How many times did he toss you in Ranma?"  
  
"I lost count after the first five times."  
  
Her face became a set mask, like it had last night when she had seen the zombies. "Would you mind if I killed your father Ranma?"  
  
Her voice was cold.  
  
Ranma shivered and said slightly panicked. "Ah. No… that's alright." He might not like his father but he didn't want him dead.  
  
Trying to take Akane's mind off his oyagi he changed the subject. "So you were going to tell me more of your life?"  
  
"Hmmm. I guess, Where was I?"  
  
"Umm… I think just after your father had chased you out of the house?"  
  
Akane nodded then began "Right, for the next week or so I spent my time hiding in abandoned buildings, it scared the hell out of me that even animals seemed to run away from me. Everyone I approached that weak seemed to be scared and treated me as if I was evil incarnate. I was out trying to use my wings when I encountered Kuno; he was holding a glowing katana. I knew I had more strength and speed then I did before the Change but I didn't exactly have enough control and I was afraid of accidentally killing Kuno, so I dodged and ran instead of fighting him."  
  
She laughed. "To make a long story short that continued for two weeks, culminating with him trapping me in a building and almost hacking off my arm and me breaking his arm and taking his sword."  
  
"That scar you showed me?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
Akane shuddered as she recalled those next few weeks. She began to speak again; "You remember how I told you of my temper?"  
  
Ranma nodded.  
  
"Well I learned then that my temper could be fatal, to me and those around me."  
  
  
  
1 FLASHBACK  
  
Akane panted as she lay against the wall, that strange girl had been chasing her for hours, shouting something about how she wouldn't let Akane get away with her evil ways.  
  
"Awwww, is the poor little demon fwitened? DIE DEMON BITCH!" Akane jerked around at the voice, it was a different girl then before.  
  
The words slowly penetrated and Akane saw red.  
  
With a screech of rage Akane charged the girl, exhaustion forgotten. The girl dodged and tried to strike out with her sword. Responding with her martial arts training she attacked with a sidekick that sent the girl into a nearby wall.  
  
Lunging once again at the girl Akane held her hands like claws, not noticing the dark glow to them.  
  
The only reason why the girl wasn't gutted was because something had grabbed onto her wings, as it was Akane's claws had left bloody furrows across the girl's stomach.  
  
The jerking to her wings was enough to snap her out of her rage and she noted what she was about to do.  
  
Akane's eyes widened in horror, she had almost killed the girl!  
  
Akane then felt a pain in her side, looked down and saw the girl's sword in her side. She had ignored it in her rage!  
  
Akane leapt unerringly into the sky; through the branches her wings had caught on and began to fly away tears over what she had almost done in her eyes.  
  
2 END FLASHBACK  
  
"…So I haven't lost my temper since."  
  
Ranma blinked once. - Ok maybe bringing up her past wasn't such a good idea. - "Want to spar again? Then I'll show you what you are doing wrong, k?"  
  
Akane smiled, her earlier melancholy forgotten immediately.  
  
"Sure, Race you!"  
  
Akane bounded to her feet and begun to run from rooftop to rooftop.  
  
"Hey wait up." Ranma laughed at Akane's exuberance.  
  
  
  
They were almost at the spot when Akane suddenly stopped.  
  
"What is it Akane?"  
  
"I smell magic." Akane was sniffing the air delicately.  
  
"Smell magic?" Instead of replying Akane leapt into the air wings slowly flapping to maintain some distance over the roof.  
  
She slowly resolved until her gaze settled onto something in the distance.  
  
Ignoring Ranma's questions she flapped her wings twice and headed into a dive, dodging people as she made to grab what she had seen.  
  
A small black piglet…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ooh cliffhanger!  
  
Well maybe not, hope you like it so far. 


	4. Chapter Three: Enter The Eternally Lost....

All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi  
  
  
  
Little Boy Lost  
  
Little Boy Found  
  
Little Boy Gone  
  
Little Boy Becomes Young Man  
  
Young Man Lost  
  
Young Man Found  
  
Young Man Cursed  
  
Young Man Almost Eaten  
  
Young Man Blames it All On Ranma  
  
  
  
Akane studied the pig in her hands.  
  
No wonder she had thought she had smelled a tasty magical snack!  
  
This pig exuded a strong magical aura; she also now knew why the pig smelled familiar.  
  
He smelled like Jusenkyou!  
  
She noticed with a touch of sadness the pig was deathly afraid of her, damnit, she had thought her luck had changed with Ranma.  
  
Then she felt a brief pain in the hand she was carrying the piglet in. "Hey!" Akane cried out indignantly. Her hands open involuntary.  
  
That had stung!  
  
- Stupid pig - She thought as she watched the pig fall to the ground and then disappear running down an alleyway.  
  
After looking for the piglet for a few minutes Akane decided to head back to Ranma, after all they did still have to spar.  
  
  
  
"So, what did you mean when you said you smelled magic?" Ranma asked between gasps of breath.  
  
"I can smell much better then I could before the Change, so well in fact that I can tell the difference between people, I also can smell demons and magic. Probably to aid me when I'm looking for a demon to eat."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Did you find whoever you smelled?"  
  
"Yes, I think it was a Jusenkyou cursed person in his cursed form."  
  
Ranma's eyebrows shot up at that. "Really? I didn't know there were more people cursed."  
  
"Yes, if you see a small black piglet with a bandanna around his neck get him some hot water." She grinned.  
  
"Huh, well Akane want me to tell you what you did wrong while we sparred?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Ranma began to move, using his incredible sense of recall during battles to act out her attack and defense, while talking. "You have a tendency to strike out with not enough control which telegraphs your moves and almost any decent fighter can read that. It also causes you to slightly overextend yourself."  
  
Akane nodded, watching him move through what she had done pointed out some glaringly obvious holes in her attacks and defenses.  
  
"You are also fairly weak at blocking, though it's probably because you can ignore most attacks right?"  
  
At her nod he continued.  
  
"There is always someone stronger then you 'Kane, or faster or tougher. So if you can improve on your defense it means that someone stronger then you can't get you in that crucial time before you pound his face in. Here lemme show you a kata that emphasizes blocks and dodging."  
  
As Akane watched him move through the kata flawlessly she wondered briefly if it would be worth it to become more… romantically involved him. No, she might lose his friendship and to her that was worth any price, even watching him fall in love with someone else.  
  
Of course it could be her complete lack of any type of relationship besides enemies with anyone was enhancing her feelings towards the young man so she should take everything she felt with a grain of salt.  
  
There was also a chance that after he heard he entire story he would hate her, just like everyone else.  
  
Well she wanted to get it off her chest.  
  
Those needless death's.  
  
Why didn't they just leave her alone?  
  
She didn't want to kill them. But… They had threatened her domain; they threatened to kill people in Nerima. Nerima was hers, even if everyone hated her it was hers!  
  
Damn those demon-hunters, anything for the kill.  
  
Damn them.  
  
Ranma's concerned gaze interrupted her thoughts. "Akane you ok? You sorta dozed off there."  
  
At her nod and the smile that didn't reach her slightly glowing gold eyes he sat down in front of her legs crossed. "C'mon tell me what's bugging ya."  
  
Akane's eyes turned downcast. "I'm worried that you'll hate me too Ranma. Oh gods I don't w-want you to hate me too."  
  
Ranma realized that, to his rising panic, Akane was crying!  
  
"Akane please don't cry, I won't hate ya." Akane looked up at him with a little hope in her eyes, though most of that was covered in resignation and a terrible loneliness. She began to speak, her voice hesitant but growing in determination.  
  
"It was about six months after the Change. I was sleeping in an abandoned hotel room in a fairly well known hotel; somehow two demon hunters had managed to track a man a woman and me there. When I woke up they had just finished planting a large bomb near my door; I recognized it as a powerful chemical explosive from a weapons magazine I had stolen three weeks before. By the time I realized just what they were doing my time was up.  
  
They had already exited the hotel and I could see them from my window. There were at least fifty guests and twice that would probably die when the hotel collapsed. I was through that window before I realized what I was doing. Before the woman even had time to react I had ripped off her arm. A few moments later I kicked her in the neck hard enough to tear her head off her shoulders and throw it through the glass storefront beside her. Before the man could even react I had punched him straight through the chest. That Ranma is why I know you'll hate me like everyone else does."  
  
Ranma was staring at her, well not in horror, but something else close to it. Then his eyes cleared as she made to move away from the one person she thought she could be friends with.  
  
"Akane you just did what you could to save others lives, it's the duty of the martial artist to protect the weak."  
  
Akane smiled at that. "Ranma I could have done it without killing either of them, I should have more control then that but I ran on my instincts."  
  
"Akane…"  
  
She interrupted him. "Ranma how can you still be my friend? They were only doing what they thought was right, trying to keep a demon from killing and enslaving people. I reacted on my instincts, those of a predator, like your Shadow said, a Hunter."  
  
"I'll always be your friend. What do you mean Akane-chan?"  
  
Akane gaped at the suffix. "Chan?"  
  
"You're my friend Akane, I wouldn't give that up for the world. Now what do you mean you're a Hunter?"  
  
She sat back down stunned by his words.  
  
Ranma still wanted to be her friend? Despite the fact that she had killed two people trying to do the right thing?  
  
"You know I need to eat unbalanced chi, right?"  
  
At his nod she continued.  
  
"Creatures with sufficient unbalanced chi are too unnatural to exist normally. The only creatures I have ever seen with enough of it even to whet my appetite are Demons and other such creatures of the night. Humans don't even have enough for me to draw out at all."  
  
She looked him straight in the eye. "Ranma, even Demons fear and hate me. It's a natural reaction to my presence. I am Demoness Akane, Eater of Demons, Bane of All."  
  
Ranma chuckled, rose and bowed. "Alright Demoness Akane-chan, I gotta get home, my pop said he needed to train me more, seeya tomorrow."  
  
Akane sat stunned as she watched Ranma disappear over the wall. - Ooh that… that… boy! How dare he make fun of my condition! -  
  
Then Akane broke into a smile, her slowly rising anger forgotten. "He called me Akane-chan." She said softly with wonder in her voice.  
  
Akane broke into a fit of giggles.  
  
She still had a friend!  
  
He didn't hate her!  
  
Laughing she leapt into the air doing barrel rolls and swooping though the terrified crowds joyously. Most of Nerima cringed as the horrible laughter rang through district. There were stampedes to get to safety as the horrible black winged figure swept through them, obviously looking for some victims  
  
  
  
Ranma stood impatiently with his father in front of a small worn-down house.  
  
"Why'd ya bring me here oyaji?"  
  
"Silence boy, I'm going to show you the most basic attack in the Yama-Sen- Ken, then we are going to train until you get it right!"  
  
Genma stood in front of the house and got into an aggressive stance.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" He shouted with a roar, and lunged forward where he hit the wall with his outward-cupped hands seemingly trying to spread the wall away and simultaneously kicking the wall.  
  
To Ranma's shock the wall was shredded with the power behind the blow.  
  
"That, son, was the Moukokaimonha! The least powerful of the Yama-Sen-Ken's attacks."  
  
Ranma was openly staring. "Least powerful?" He asked with an awed whisper.  
  
"Yes, the first of the eight. The most powerful and most lethal is the Saidaikyuukijinraishuudan."  
  
Ranma blinked at the name. "Now boy, we just have to train you in the use of the Yama-Sen-Ken. After we finish that we can move onto the Umi-Sen- Ken!"  
  
  
  
Ranma lay panting on his futon completely exhausted, he had mastered the first two moves of the Yama-Sen-Ken, but his oyaji hadn't given up, it wasn't good enough for him to do them perfectly, he had to make them instinct, like he would use those deadly techniques on instinct.  
  
Maybe Akane would like to learn these too, though she did seem to be strong enough to not need special techniques to rip things into two.  
  
Ranma had a sneaking suspicion that Akane was actually holding her true strength and speed back during their sparring sessions, even with Ranma moving at his fastest he was always only a step faster then Akane. He was vaguely annoyed at her holding back yet he also understood it. He would do the same thing against someone who wanted to spar, yet wasn't really in his league.  
  
- I'll show her that I can be just as good as her, more training like Oyaji has me doing and sparring with Akane and I'll be able to match her at her best, just you wait! -  
  
With these thoughts he fell asleep, plans to increase his already strenuous training regimen forming.  
  
  
  
Ranma groaned as she went back to the restrooms to get some water. Today at school had not been her day. She had been changed between a guy and a girl six times so far and when Kuno-baka had saw it he had startled to babble something about sorcery and the vile Saotome who had enslaved his pig- tailed kami.  
  
Not only that, he had wakened up extra early to begin his increased training regimen and had slept through half his classes. Which of course had earned him some time waiting in the hall holding buckets. Good thing he had learned how to sleep while standing.  
  
Ranma brightened considerable as she got her hot water and transformed into a guy. Now that that was out of the way he could go back for his afternoon sparring with Akane.  
  
Running out the restroom he sprinted towards the doors and out to the schoolyard. As he neared the gate his danger-sense pinged.  
  
Above him?  
  
Glancing up he saw… someone silhouetted in the sun, some sort of weapon aiming directly at him.  
  
That and the words shouted from the figure were enough to warn him. "RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"  
  
Legs tensed in seconds Ranma dodged; absently noticing the ground he had just been standing on was now a five-foot wide crater.  
  
In the center of the crater crouched his attacker. Unruly hair was kept in check with a yellow and black bandanna, Eyes flamed with hate, the boy had one hand resting on his weapon, an umbrella.  
  
Ranma studied the boy, he was vaguely familiar. "You!" he exclaimed trying to place the boy.  
  
The boy rose and took an aggressive stance, umbrella pointing at Ranma.  
  
"You haven't changed, your still good at running away I see Ranma."  
  
Ranma was perplexed, who was he?  
  
After staring hard at Ranma the boy continued "Just tell me one thing Ranma, why did you run on our man-to-man fight?"  
  
Those words clinched it and Ranma broke into a smile. "Ryoga, Hibiki Ryogo, I remember you, how's it going old buddy?"  
  
Ryoga's expression darkened. "Just answer the question Ranma."  
  
Ranma's tone was bored. "I waited for three days at the place you chose."  
  
"And on the fourth day when I got there you were gone!"  
  
Ranma took on a tone of exasperation. "Ryoga, it was the abandoned lot five hundred yards away from your house. How come it took four days to get there?"  
  
"I traveled non-stop for days to get there. Thanks to you I've seen Hell!"  
  
The murmurs of the crowd watching the confrontation begin to mutter amongst themselves.  
  
"No sense of direction?"  
  
"None whatsoever!"  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
"Ranma I'll destroy your happiness!" Ryoga shouted as he charged Ranma.  
  
Idly wondering out loud if he was happy he dodged the boy's blows with his umbrella and leaped over him.  
  
Ryoga charged off in the wrong direction shouting for Ranma to come back and face his punishment like a man.  
  
Ranma stared after the boy for a few seconds, then shrugged and ran out of the gate.  
  
  
  
Ranma sat on the roof where he had been meeting Akane every day since the time he had begun to call her Akane-chan.  
  
Sometimes they would just talk about inconsequential things, other times Akane would get… well moody and tell him about another episode in her somewhat dark past. Then they would go spar for an hour. Ranma would show Akane what she had done wrong and then teach her something new. Thought most of it was normal Saotome Ryu, she didn't have enough control for the Yam-Sen-Ken yet.  
  
Akane as they had agreed was helping Ranma on his speed, endurance and strength. Like he had suspected she was holding back on him.  
  
For twenty minutes each day he would have to try and dodge and punch out at her flickering form that lashed out at him with lightning paced blows.  
  
He could feel her training working, already his speed was up and everyday her blows stung less and less.  
  
Idly wondering how she would help him develop his strength he watched the city.  
  
"Hey Ranma."  
  
That was annoying too, though he was getting better at detecting her he had trouble picking her up unless she was close by. He smirked, awareness training he guessed.  
  
"Hey Akane-chan."  
  
"So what was up with that Ryoga guy."  
  
"You saw?"  
  
"Yup" She replied sitting down besides him.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Any idea at all why he hated you so much?"  
  
"Ummm…"  
  
"Heh, so like you Ranma, nothing in that head of yours is there?" She smiled, eyes twinkiling.  
  
"HEY!" Ranma shouted indignantly  
  
"So… no clue whatsoever yet?"  
  
"Umm… I think it might be over lunch at when I knew him at school."  
  
"Over lunch?"  
  
"Ya, that's it, lunchtime in that school was war, you see it was an all- boys school and at the end the cafeteria lady would throw out the final bread of the day. I bounced off Ryoga's head and grabbed the croquette bread. He cried tears of bitterness and swore revenge."  
  
"It seems a bit much for him to be so angry at you for one piece of bread."  
  
"Well there was the shrimp bread, the cheese bread, the seafood bread…" Ranma continued to list almost every type of bread there was and Akane began to laugh.  
  
"Oh Ranma…"  
  
  
  
Akane and Ranma stood there breathing hard after a good hour's spar. Ranma was still black and blue all over from the force of Akane's blows and Akane had a similar mass of bruises though already fading.  
  
"Wow, you did well today Akane-chan, your form's improved a lot."  
  
"Ya Ranma, I can't believe how fast you've gotten in this past week. I think though its time to work on your strength, c'mon."  
  
With that Akane lifted him up in her arms and jumped straight up. Though Ranma didn't really mind being carried by her it was disconcerting how safe he felt with her arms around her.  
  
Idly wondering why he trusted Akane so much he watched the city far below past by in a blur.  
  
Why did he want to be around her so much?  
  
Dismissing the questions he looked around.  
  
Realizing that they were actually headed out of the city he turned around to look at the girl gently cradling him in her arms. Her face was staring forward; ragged waist length hair swept back by the force of the wind, wings beating rhythmically.  
  
"Where we going Akane-chan?"  
  
Briefly glancing at him she replied. "It's where I store most of my stuff, a fairly extensive cave system only accessible from high on a cliff. I keep my stuff there"  
  
"Ah." Ranma turned back around and saw where they were headed, Akane had taken a gentle half-circle and was heading towards the sea, and she was speeding up and to Ranma's slight shock both he and her were being surrounded by a blue-black aura.  
  
The aura seemed to have immediate effects, as he could no longer feel the wind rushing against him. Wondering why she was producing the aura he gasped, the ground was moving far faster then it had before.  
  
At the gasp she saw him looking at the ground.  
  
"It's a fair distance away, I have to go fairly fast if we want to get there and back in time after getting the items we need."  
  
Soon after the aura darkened completely so that Ranma couldn't see out. Akane's eyes began to flare brightly.  
  
After five minutes of traveling in complete darkness Akane stopped, flapping three times to stabilize herself.  
  
The aura dissipated and Ranma looked at the opening, it had a slight lip facing outward, which Akane slowly approached and set down.  
  
Ranma got out of Akane's arms and looked around. Almost immediately a light began to shine from the ceiling.  
  
Looking up he saw a gentle green glow from a lumpish stone set in the rocky ceiling.  
  
Seeing Ranma'a gaze she explained "Demon detection stones, fairly common in most sorcerers and demon hunters inventories, I steal them off the weaker Demons all the time."  
  
Ranma nodded and followed her as she walked down the tunnel.  
  
Ranma watched her wings, in their natural folded position. They sat against her back slightly outspread, wings reaching from where their tips barely brushed against the uneven floor to about three feet above her head. Akane was about a head shorter then him but her impressive wings gave her the illusion of being much taller.  
  
Her slight frame definitely belied her strength, Ranma had seen her easily picking up huge boulders and flying with them, just too redecorate their sparring ground.  
  
Thoughts of Akane vanished when the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern.  
  
As soon as Akane had entered lights had winked into existence as various swords; amulets, rings and stones began to glow.  
  
Looking around in awe at the vast array of things laid out on boards set on bricks that made makeshift benches he wandered around as Akane began to browse the amulets.  
  
Reaching the bench of the swords he picked up one particularly well crafted katana.  
  
A strange feeling came over him and a voice began to mutter in his head.  
  
- kill the demons, kill the demons kill the demons… –  
  
The voice repeated over and over again like a mantra, Ranma glanced at Akane once and the voice began to clamor louder.  
  
- Kill the demon kill the demon, kill the demon… -  
  
He set the sword back down and the feelings and voice disappeared immediately.  
  
Walking back to Akane when she suddenly gave a small cry of satisfaction as she picked up a necklace with a medium sized stone that looked like a lump of obsidian.  
  
"Here Ranma, put this on."  
  
Looking at her questionably he did so.  
  
Once satisfied that he had done what she had asked she gestured for him to follow him.  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"Yes, that, Ranma, is a punishment item I got off a demon who made humans wear it. It causes the entire body of the wearer to become heavier when activated; only a demon can remove it. I wore it for nearly three weeks at the heaviest before I finished using it; it's like wearing your weights all the time. A great trainer!" She said enthusiastically.  
  
Ranma blinked. "Is it activated?"  
  
"No Ranma, I'm going to wait till we get back to the city, your heavy enough as it is without me having to carry you doubled in weight."  
  
He smirked at her.  
  
Ranma had noticed Akane didn't smile a lot or if she did smile it didn't reach her eyes, she usually had this sad, haunted expression on her face, which was a shame because even with those teeth she had a beautiful smile.  
  
That was why Ranma always joked with her, instead of insulting her. She seemed to smile the most when they sparred so he quenched his uneasiness at fighting with a girl, even one as tough as Akane.  
  
With Ranma in Akane's arms she leapt out of the opening, black aura immediately surrounding them as they sped to the glowing mass of lights that was Tokyo.  
  
  
  
Ranma glared at Nabiki.  
  
Nabiki glared at Ranma.  
  
There had been a silent war raging between the two, Ranma had begun to play childish pranks on Nabiki and in retaliation, Nabiki had been egging Kuno on and selling Kuno pictures of Ranma in her girl-form. It was her fault that Kuno know thought him a sorcerer who had enslaved the pig-tailed kami.  
  
They weren't a pair of happy fiancées, to tell the truth they hated each other's guts and it showed.  
  
Also Akane had activated the amulet and weighing three times your own weight was not fun.  
  
Turning away he smiled as Kasumi finished bring in the dishes of food. Despite Nabiki it was nice to have a home and steady meals everyday. Glancing around his eyes settled on Soun, an ok guy when he wasn't harping on how he would find hi ex-daughter and kill her he was quite good in the Art, and it showed in his students. Idly wondering if Tendo-san had any special techniques he asked him the question that was plaguing him.  
  
"Hey Tendo-san, do you have any good techniques? Oyaji here won't teach me the Umi-Sen-Ken until next week."  
  
"I suppose I could son, after all you will be teaching the combined Tendo/Saotome schools."  
  
Ranma nodded his head and began the serious business of eating.  
  
"Oh Ranma, when your finished there is some mail for you in the front hallway. Someone named Hibiki Ryoga sent it." Ranma absently noticed Kasumi's dress; it wasn't what she normally wore.  
  
"You going out Kasumi?"  
  
Kasumi looked surprised, the only person to notice her change in attire was Ranma?  
  
"Yes Ranma, Doctor Tofu asked me out today, he was so silly dancing around with his skeleton after I said yes." She raised her hand to her mouth and giggled.  
  
Soun nodded, the doctor was a fine young man, and his daughter could do well with him. His eyes darkened slightly as he thought of the changes in the ward since that night two years ago.  
  
Yes it might be good for young Ranma to learn these skills, after all Ranma was almost his Father's equal now and he was half his father's age.  
  
Then that horrid creature would pay.  
  
"Would you like to start son?"  
  
Ranma smiled and nodded. He then bounced into the dojo trying to ignore the extra weight.  
  
  
  
Ranma waited patiently by the field, Ryoga had sent him a challenge letter nearly a week earlier.  
  
That meant he was due soon, maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but soon.  
  
"WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I NOW?!?" Ranma smiled, that was Ryoga, checking himself for his consolation gifts he called out.  
  
"Ryoga this way!"  
  
Confusion to where he was turned to hatred at his foe. "Ranma are you prepared to suffer?"  
  
"Here Ryoga." Ranma called out tossing the lost boy something.  
  
"What is this?" Confusion was clear on the lost boy's face, a packet of bread in his hand.  
  
"Aren't you greedy here!" Ranma began to toss him packet after packet of bread listing them off.  
  
"What? Do you think you can appease me with bread?"  
  
"This isn't a bread-feud?"  
  
"RANMA DIE!" The lost boy charged Ranma and began to jab with his umbrella.  
  
"C'mon man tell me what this is about."  
  
"Do you think mere words can convey my suffering." The lost boy continued to lash out.  
  
- When had Ranma gotten this fast? - Ryoga thought with frustration.  
  
Getting increasingly agitated at his inability to strike his opponent he snapped open his umbrella and threw it in a particular fashion. Spinning like a buzz saw Ranma dodged the umbrella where it sliced apart a tree and returned to Ryoga's hands.  
  
Once again sending it at Ranma Ryoga this time charged after it trying to surprise him. Ranma didn't dodge it that well as his shirt got ripped.  
  
The umbrella sliced into the ground and came to a rest near some of the watching students. One of them tried to pick it up and exclaimed at its heaviness.  
  
Ranma continued to dodge and Ryoga continued to get increasingly angry.  
  
"Hey that was my favorite shirt"  
  
"Ranma you sound like a girl!"  
  
At that comment Ranma snapped, his curse had been particularly annoying since Kuno and Nabiki wouldn't let up on him.  
  
"DON'T" Ranma blurred into the front of the lost boy.  
  
"CALL" His fist lashed out and punched the lost boy in the stomach causing Ryoga to bend over slightly and gasp for air.  
  
"ME" A second punch followed this time into his face jerking Ryoga back upright.  
  
"A GIRL!!" Ranma followed through with a snap kick to his chin that sent Ryoga flying over the tall wire fence that surrounded the park. Ranma followed with a snarl.  
  
In a nearby tree a pair of golden eyes looked on worriedly.  
  
Ryoga coming to his senses hastily dodged the enraged boy.  
  
Ranma's kick impacted with the fountain behind the lost boy spraying water everywhere.  
  
Ryoga quickly intervened with his umbrella, which had been picked up before Ranma had gotten angry.  
  
To say he was surprised when a short redhead came out of the water and kicked him in stomach was an understatement.  
  
"Wh-Wh-Who are you?!?"  
  
"Who do you think lost boy?" The 'girl' snarled.  
  
"R-R-Ranma?"  
  
"Who did you think I was?" She said anger evident in her voice.  
  
"You're a girl?"  
  
"I AM NOT A GIRL!" It was then that she noticed her change.  
  
"Oh." She looked down ashamed.  
  
"I guess you think this is funny eh Ryoga? Go ahead and laugh, I have a curse."  
  
Ryoga laughed all right. "You think that beautiful body is a curse Ranma? You have no idea what a curse is like! DIE!"  
  
He threw the bandannas that were already spinning in his hands. Ranma absently dodged them.  
  
"Hey Ryoga." Ranma hopped forward peering intently at the boy.  
  
"How many bandannas are you wearing anyway?"  
  
Instead of replying the lost boy unleashed another set of whirring bandannas.  
  
Ranma knocked one of them into the tree's branches behind him.  
  
After a few more seconds of fighting, Ryoga have abandoned the bandannas and backing Ranma against a tree Ranma noticed something on the ground in front of him.  
  
It looked oddly familiar, though why would a three-foot long bundle of blue- black hair look familiar?  
  
Blue-Black Hair?  
  
Uh-Oh.  
  
Ramna looked behind him.  
  
Yep.  
  
Akane's tree.  
  
He then looked up and straight into a set of angry gold eyes.  
  
Ryoga, wondering what had distracted his foe also looked up and gulped. He then looked down.  
  
Hair.  
  
He looked up.  
  
Demon with short hair.  
  
Bandanna stuck in tree behind demon.  
  
Not good, he knew one thing; he had just cut off a demon's hair.  
  
A demon who looked like she had liked her hair the way it had been.  
  
Ryoga wasn't a coward.  
  
But this time he decided discretion was the better part of valor.  
  
Ranma glanced down and slowly picked up the cut hair. Timidly he held it up to her.  
  
"Umm… sorry Akane?"  
  
Instead of replying she merely snarled at him eyes bright with unshed tears. She then strreaked across the schoolyard, flying low.  
  
Was she… crying?  
  
Ranma turned around and headed home dejected, hair still in his hands.  
  
He had a feeling there wouldn't be a sparring session today. He'd go look for her later.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well there we go how'd you like the latest installment of On Wings of Black?  
  
OK we've introduced Ryoga, seen some more of Akane's troubled past and Ranma's mastered the Yama-Sen-Ken. Ranma has also begun strength training ala modified demon torture necklace.  
  
Will Ryoga find out about Ranma being friends with Akane?  
  
What will Ranma think of Ryoga's curse?  
  
What will happen when the Black Rose meets the Demoness Akane?  
  
  
  
All this and more!  
  
Next chapter of On Wings of Black! 


	5. Chapter Four: Kodachi the Black Rose

Rumiko Takahashi owns Ranma ½  
  
  
  
  
  
Glowing eyes surround me  
  
Claws rip at me  
  
Needlepoint fangs rend me  
  
Hisses and yowls deafen me  
  
Terror grips me  
  
The Pit surrounds me  
  
Help me…  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma woke up in midair again, he noted with some confusion that it was dark out. His father usually waited for after dawn to start his training. Ranma's thoughts were still on the incident yesterday  
  
Ranma had spent most of yesterday looking for Akane after depositing the cut hair in a box under a loose floorboard in his room.  
  
Ranma landed with a splash into the fishpond. Those koi must beginning to hate him and his father, they fell into the pond five times a day each minimum.  
  
Spluttering she rose and glanced at the figure. Idly noting the rain she then noticed the red bamboo umbrella.  
  
"Ryoga? What the hell are you doing here?" She exclaimed hotly. "It's the middle of the night!"  
  
"Revenge waits for nothing Ranma." He lunged with an outstretched fist, ready to pound his hated foe into paste.  
  
"C'mon man tell me what's got you so pissed?" Ranma asked, calmly dodging the lost boy's blows.  
  
"Thanks to you I've seen hell Ranma, I followed you all the way to China." Ranma's eyes widened.  
  
"Aw man don't tell me you went to Jusenkyou and now you turn into something?" Ranma said, a cloud of guilt settling on him.  
  
"Be quite and DIE!"  
  
The one reason Ranma was only dodging was because of Akane's strength training had been increased from four times his own weight to six times. Most of her punch's power was robbed by the simple fact that her arms weighed so much.  
  
Briefly remembering this afternoon where she had managed to kick Ryoga over the fence, she knew that in her girl form she had virtually no strength to hurt Ryoga. Ryoga always had been a tough one.  
  
There was one possibility to win, but that would be like using her own fear of cats against her, dishonorable.  
  
So Ranma continued to dodge and wait.  
  
"Fight me Ranma!"  
  
"Why should I lost-boy? You're wearing yourself out just fine!"  
  
Ryoga snarled at that, he knew it was true. If Ranma attacked she would have to stay still long enough for Ryoga to get a good solid hit in, as it was Ryoga was wasting his blows on the girl.  
  
Ranma was in the middle of dodging another blow of Ryoga's fist when she noticed Ryoga had frozen with eyes wide.  
  
"Huh?" Ranma turned her head to see what had distracted her opponent, on guard for a surprise attack. She saw a dark mass with two brightly shimmering gold specks. She knew immediately who it was, who would scare everyone just by being looked at… except her.  
  
Turning back around at a slight noise behind her muscle tense to resume dodging she saw Ryoga backing away, pale with terror. She groaned.  
  
"Aw man Ryoga it's just Akane!"  
  
"It doesn't matter what you do Ranma, they hate me, it's a part of what I am."  
  
"But Akane, I'm sure if ya point out what you've done…" She said turning back to argue with the winged girl.  
  
"Sorry Ranma, I tried that, it didn't do any good, just let a few demon hunters get close enough to try their luck,"  
  
Both of them turned at the loud splash. Akane noticed the sudden flow of magic expanding through the yard. She almost licked her chops at the smell then remembered; magical pot roast equals Jusenkyou cursed victim.  
  
"Was that Ryoga?"  
  
"Ya, here are his clothes." Ranma picked up the empty outfit. She hefted them, then asked. "Where'd he go?"  
  
"Remember that piglet I told you about?"  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"I think that was him."  
  
"Oh man, that's gotta suck! He must be on everyone's lunch menu from here to China!"  
  
Akane nodded and Ranma hopped up to sit beside her.  
  
"Hey Akane-chan, why were you so upset when your hair got cut?" She asked with her usual tact, which was to say none.  
  
Akane lowered her head. "It's kind of silly but I started growing my hair long to compete for Doctor Tofu's affections. I felt that as long as I kept on growing my hair I could return to normal, it was my last link with my former life. My ex-Father burned everything I owned after I left."  
  
She began to cry and leaned against Ranma's shoulder as Ranma put her arm around the sobbing girl. "I want to be normal Ranma, I want to be a normal girl with a high-school crush and normal problems, not worrying about Demons and demon hunters."  
  
"Akane-chan, I'm here for ya, and I swear if there is a way for you to return to normal we will find it!"  
  
"Ranma…" The Demoness Akane, Eater of Demons, Bane of All muttered and then wrapped both her arms around the smaller girl and covered them both with her wings sheltering them from the rain as her sobs intensified  
  
  
  
- It's a good thing no one saw her last night, I coulda been seen as someone who worked for her or somethin! -  
  
Ranma was running down the sidewalk, she had abandoned fence walking when she had felt the fence almost give from her increased weight.  
  
Yesterday it had broken almost immediately when she had been in guy form. Figuring that if she increased her strength in girl form it would be more beneficial.  
  
Today she would spend the entire day as a girl, even if Kuno were in her face from dusk till dawn!  
  
There was _some_ advantages to this form, she thought and grinned at the extra treats she had received by acting extra cute.  
  
Turning the corner she heard cries of pain. Leaping onto the wall mentally grumbling at the weight she looked at the scene with interest, some girl in a schoolgirl's uniform was facing off three guys wrapped in bandages.  
  
"Get her!" The three guys charged at the girl with clubs in hand.  
  
"OHOHOHO you think to challenge the beautiful flower of St. Hebereke's High?" The girl tore off her uniform revealing a leotard that reminded her of what Akane wore, complete with a black rose on the left breast.  
  
Ranma smiled slightly at that as she watched the one in the leotard begin to beat on the three guys, Akane still wore the pants she had given her on that night she had met Akane. Maybe she would give her some more pairs Ranma mused.  
  
Ranma noticed with a scowl that the guys were now cringing at the blows and the girl had beaten them to the ground and wasn't letting up.  
  
Ranma hopped off the wall and landed in front of the three guys and seized the ribbon.  
  
"You stopped my ribbon with your hand. You certainly aren't an ordinary girl!"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
The leotard-clad girl sneered. "That's good because I prefer not to treat girls with ordinary…" She dropped her ribbon and flipped one of the fallen clubs into her hand while talking and lunged at Ranma, "courtesy!"  
  
Ranma easily dodged the blow by doing a perfectly executed sweep with her leg, which sent the girl tumbling.  
  
The other girl showed her agility when she contorted her body and landed onto her feet in a pose arm stretched out. "You are good, know this I am the beautiful young flower of St. Hebereke's High School for Girls, Captain of the Rhythmic Gymnastics team, Kodachi the Black Rose! "  
  
Then Kodachi tossed Ranma a black rose and leaped over the fence twirling her ribbon and laughing as she bounded away.  
  
"Hey you guys are giving men a bad name, stop crying." Ranma scolded as she turned around.  
  
"We aren't men!" The girls unwrapped the bandages around them showing familiar _female_ faces.  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
  
  
"…so somehow those girls made me feel so ashamed at not recognizing they were girls in the first place that I'm now going to compete in the Rhythmic Martial Arts Gymnastics against that crazy Black Petunia girl."  
  
"I think that was Black Rose Ranma."  
  
"Whatever, so now I'm gonna have to learn all the rules to that sport and everything, I don't like rules!"  
  
"You'll live." Akane was chuckling.  
  
"Well Akane, you get to help me practice!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Yes you will, after all how else am I gonna train in this girls sport without a girl to learn it from."  
  
"I know nothing about Rhythmic Gymnastics Ranma!"  
  
"Well too bad, you're helpin!"  
  
"Tomorrow baka, you need the tools, I'll help you when you get them."  
  
"Fine, but you better be here." Ranma hopped off the wall. "Oh hey Akane? Do you think you can survive one of these?"  
  
Quickly performing the hand movements necessary to replicate the vacuum blade she shouted the name of the attack. "Kijinraishuudan"  
  
Akane watches as the bolt of rippling air leaves a jagged hole in the wall beside her.  
  
"Do that again, same spot, would you?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
"Kijinraishuudan"  
  
Akane stuck out her hand and watched as the vacuum blade approached it.  
  
It hit.  
  
Akane's hand exploded into gore, then the blood and bits of flesh and bone stopped in midair. A blue-black aura surrounded the mass of blood and flesh.  
  
Ranma watched a horrified that his attack had hurt her that badly. Then his eyes bulged, the blue-black aura was gone, leaving a perfectly fine hand.  
  
"I think I can handle it why?" Ranma stood there gawking.  
  
Akane grabbed a chunk of the wall off and threw it at the comatose boy. "I said I think I can handle. Why?" She said after the piece of wall hit the boy in the forehead.  
  
"OUCH"  
  
"Umm… It might be a good idea if people see me and you fighting in the streets and that's the only long range attack I have."  
  
"So you DO have a brain! And here I thought it was just a mass of bone and gristle." Akane smirked down at him.  
  
"HEY! You wanna repeat that Demoness Akane-Chan?"  
  
"Ooh is that a challenge? Hmmmm puny mortal?"  
  
"Puny? Why you! HYAAAAA!" Ranma leaped at the winged-girl.  
  
Laughing the two friends began to fight across the rooftops.  
  
  
  
The tiny back pig just behind the bushes shuddered as he heard the yells and laughter fade away from him.  
  
No wonder Ranma had tortured him and sent him through hell, he had been controlled by that demon the entire time.  
  
That strange blast Ranma had sent at the demon, and the way the demon had healed itself, had proved to Ryoga that he didn't have a bat's chance in hell of killing either of them, but if they found out what he knew, who knows what horrible tortures could be inflicted on him.  
  
He pondered it, then came to a decision, he would tell everyone who could to stay away from Saotome, without either him or the demon finding out.  
  
Then, then he would get stronger and kill both the evil beings that they were.  
  
Nodding his head and squealing in piggish out loud his vow he went looking for some hot water.  
  
  
  
Akane floated back from another vacuum blade, then decide to give her a little surprise. Grinning she cupped her hands in front of her and began to summon her more destructive chi blast.  
  
"Crimson BEEEAAM"  
  
Ranma was hit full in the chest and lay against the way for ten seconds stunned.  
  
"What was THAT?" She shouted at Akane when she recovered.  
  
"My chi blast."  
  
"How'd you do it?" She asked while she hopped onto the roof next to Akane, wincing slightly at the massive bruise on her chest.  
  
"Summon a piece of your strongest emotion and channel it through your chi."  
  
"Emotion?"  
  
"Yes, I use hatred."  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Why hatred?"  
  
"I hate the demons I eat for existing, since I'm pretty sure one of them cursed me, and I hate myself for letting me become something like them." Akane said somberly, all joy at their sparring session gone.  
  
"Akane-chan you are nothing like the demons, hell would one of them bother to save lives like you did?"  
  
"No… I guess your right Ranma."  
  
"Of course I am!" She gave her a cocky grin, then started backing away as Akane raised her hand and a deep red flickered across it.  
  
"Hey… Akane, ummmm… peace?"  
  
"Puny mortal! Prepare to suffer at my hands." Akane grinned at Ranma.  
  
Ranma pushed herself to her limits as she dodged the beam of energy, this one much weaker then before. Smirking she tried to replicate the blast herself, a faint flicker of golden energy surged around her hands.  
  
Pleased with the result she continued to the heavy sparring match with Akane, Akane form blurred every now and then and Ranma's female formed flowed through the motions of blocking, dodging, kicking and punching.  
  
There.  
  
An opening, her emotion that she had chosen and the chi was simmering within her.  
  
Her aura flared around her as she pumped the emotion through herself. Golden light surrounded her and focused in front of her hand.  
  
"Plasma FLARE."  
  
Ranma had felt the heat from the faint aura that had surrounded her hand's the first time and the golden color had reminded her of the Sun… and well Akane's eyes but it was the same color.  
  
Akane's eyes twinkled, she had known Ranma was good, but this, this meant he could do a technique after having it explained to him and only seeing it once!  
  
"Has your father begun teaching you what was it? The Umi-Sen-Ken?" She asked between blows  
  
"No, he's irritated at my lack of progress and backsliding."  
  
"Awwww, is the poor little wanma brought down low by merely weighing eight times his own weight?"  
  
"Ha! You wish."  
  
After continuing for a few more minutes in companionable silence and battle Ranma spoke up. "Oh that reminds me, would you like to learn some of the Tendo-Ryu? It's mainly advanced weapon techniques."  
  
Akane faltered at that and Ranma gave a crow of victory as he managed to grab on to her arm midair and slam into the opposite wall.  
  
"Ranma… I'd love to learn some advanced Tendo-Ryu!"  
  
"Great. Meetcha in the sparring ground." Ranma smiled and began to roofhop his way across Nerima.  
  
  
  
Ranma wiped her forehead, three long hours in the Dojo learning advanced Tendo-Ryu was tough, especially since it concentrated in channeling chi through the weapons. She remembered the first time she had seen the most advanced and forbidden moves of Tendo-Ryu  
  
Chi forged weapons.  
  
Weapons actually built and stabilized by chi, it was an amazing thing, they looked like the real thing and felt like it but the creator could dispel or form a weapon quite quickly, depending on how good you were.  
  
He remembered how he nearly gotten skewered on Soun's nagatania. The damn thing had appeared while him and Soun had been exchanging blows unarmed.  
  
Akane's lessons had gone well, she had already picked enough to take on most kenpo practitioners with a sword and it wasn't the only weapon she practiced with. She wouldn't be ready for someone of Kuno's caliber in pure skill in kenpo for a good month, but her training in Anything-Goes had already laid the foundation for the advanced Tendo-Ryu.  
  
She flopped on to her bed and stared, right above her was the Black Petunia, with a black flower in her mouth, and she was holding a rather large hammer.  
  
- Why did the mallet remind me of Akane? - Ranma thought to herself as she rolled off her bed.  
  
Scowling at the girl she blurred and with a single throw sent the Black Petunia out the window.  
  
"Saotome Ranma you shall pay for that!" The girl said arrogantly as she landed outside and began to bound off.  
  
Disgusted and adrenaline still running through her veins she decided to change back to a guy. Opening the door and heading back downstairs she entered the kitchen.  
  
Spotting the kettle she raised it over her head and looked outside as she poured.  
  
Ranma rose his eyebrows… was that a pig?  
  
Abruptly remembering what Akane had said about Ryoga he smiled.  
  
"Hey Ryoga I have some hot water here."  
  
The pig looked at him and then ran.  
  
Ranma stood there for a few seconds and then followed.  
  
"Hey come back I wanna talk to you."  
  
Ranma quickly looked around and noticed the pig was bounding up to the fence and then across the rooftops.  
  
"Hey pork-for-brains come back here!" Ranma shouted as he neared his prey.  
  
**CLANG**  
  
Feeling something hitting the kettle in one hand he looks down and sees the Black Petunia girl from before, instantly noting her rather dazed expression as she fell headfirst towards the ground.  
  
Ranma reacted instantly, with his superior training in mid-air combat he rocketed towards the falling figure, grabbing her and bouncing back onto the roof  
  
Cradling Kodachi in his arms he looked at her. "Hey you alright?"  
  
Seeing the girl stir and begin to move her heads towards his Ranma panicked and set the girl down. – What was she doing? – He thought as he backed away.  
  
"What is your name kind Sir?" Kodachi asked as she tried to climb back into his arms.  
  
"S-S-S-Soa-tome R-R-R-Ranma."  
  
"Ranma-Sama…" She sighed.  
  
"What?"  
  
Kodachi whipped out a bouquet of black roses from somewhere and shoved them into Ranma's face.  
  
Powder exploded and Ranma fell over backwards completely numb.  
  
- I can't move! -  
  
"Ranma-Sama partake these virgin lips of mine in a gentle sweet kiss. "  
  
"Urrrrrr." He tried to move, shout, ANYTHING to get away as the girl lowered her head to his.  
  
  
  
Akane watched as her friend… only her friend she reprimanded herself again was knocked over by the girl.  
  
Akane frowned at the appearance of the roses; they smelled faintly of magic, though not very strong magic.  
  
She felt irritation as the girl moved into kiss HER Ranma.  
  
Damnit she did it again. She was lately thinking Ranma as hers.  
  
Akane moved.  
  
One second the leotard girl was leaning over Ranma to kiss him and the next she was knocked head over heals to the opposite side of the roof.  
  
  
  
Kodachi froze at the sight before her. In front of her was the creature her brother ranted day and night about, the one who had stolen his precious sword.  
  
Akane the Demoness.  
  
Though she was a very minor witch she found it distasteful to use the darker side of her magic so she avoided trafficking with demons. Even so she had heard the frightened whispers of her fellow witches in the nearby area.  
  
An entire coven had been wiped out of existence.  
  
By one Demon, and that same Demon was standing in front of her.  
  
Kodachi was frozen in fear at the extreme malice; distantly almost detached from her body she noted the demon looked like a well-formed eighteen-year old girl. She had on black, baggy pants; a skintight shirt with a black rose motif… wait that wasn't a shirt that was the top of one of her leotards!  
  
The Demon's black blue wings were matched the girls short and ragged hair color perfectly, her wings half spread and she was frowning at Kodachi, her eyes had no pupils and were a burning gold color that glowed in the dark.  
  
As she stared in fear at the Demon it began to speak in the half-Demon tongue known by all competent magic users.  
  
~ Little One, Ranma is MINE ~  
  
Kodachi nodded jerkily, afraid.  
  
The frown lost some of its anger and the Demon continued.  
  
~ If you wish to pursue him I will allow it, I wish to have this one of his own free will, you will do the same Little One, no magic to persuade him, no drugs. ~  
  
Kodachi stared in wonder; the demon was going to let her live? It would let her convince Ranma-Sama of his love for her?  
  
~ Do you understand Little One? ~  
  
Kodachi nodded then ran, for once not laughing her wonderful laugh.  
  
  
  
Akane watched the gymnast/witch run away and turned back to Ranma.  
  
After examining him for a few moments she spoke. "The drug in you should just keep you paralyzed for the night Ranma. I'll be right back, going to steal you a blanket or something so you don't get so cold."  
  
"Urrrrrrrrr." Nodding she turned and began to look for a good place to steal from.  
  
  
  
Ranma shivered with cold as he waited for Akane to return. He then froze  
  
Something was nearby, something horrible, something out of his worst nightmare.  
  
Moving his eyes around he tried to see what had alerted him. His eyes widened as he saw what it was.  
  
Focusing all his will power he tried to move… he didn't even twitch.  
  
It's gonna get me, and I can't move, it's gonna tear out my throat… it's gonna eat my eyes… It's gonna rake it's claws across my face…  
  
Ranma's mental babble continued as the fear wormed its way further into him.  
  
He then froze even further then the drug made him, his eyes staring.  
  
The creature had climbed onto his chest and was looking at him.  
  
It was twice the size of a large housecat and had sleek black fur. It's eyes were deep brown, almost black.  
  
Just as Ranma felt the Pit begin to close around him the cat vanished.  
  
It was gone, all Ranma felt was relief, he didn't wonder where it had gone and why it hadn't sunk it's gnashing teeth into his flesh.  
  
With Ranma still breathing heavily from the experience he felt something drape over him, moving his eyes he saw Akane smiling at him, she sat down besides him.  
  
"There you go Ranma, sleep well."  
  
He managed to mumble something. "'ignth kan-an"  
  
It took a few minutes for Ranma to drift off while Akane sat by his side looking over Nerima.  
  
She didn't notice the aura of black flicker across Ranma changing him slightly. Nor did she notice Ranma was slightly larger; his nails became more claw-like and most of his features became slightly catlike.  
  
After a full minute of remaining that way Ranma changed back to normal.  
  
  
  
Genma watched his son with pride as he moved through his kata; his son had created it on his own after mastering the chi weapons.  
  
He had been practicing lately in female form forging things like ribbons, gymnastic clubs, hoops and balls. That puzzled Genma slightly though he dismissed it.  
  
Genma then thought with growing admiration of the other totally new kata Ranma had invented.  
  
He had had Genma and Tendo stand to the side with large water guns and fire them randomly throughout the kata.  
  
It had taken only three repetitions of the kata to instantly adjust to his or her new form. He was a true master of the Art, making one of his own greatest weaknesses, that of being a girl into a strength.  
  
His son's control over his motions had grown considerable since they had arrived here, whoever this boy's sparring partner he spent most of the day with was one hell of a martial artist.  
  
Then Genma frowned slightly, Why had his son slowed down so much during this last week, every time he made progress over his old high he would slow down and weaken again.  
  
Well the Umi-sen-Ken did require more technique then physical prowess.  
  
He nodded once; yes it was time to start training him. Then maybe he could see the full potential of both schools of techniques realized through his son.  
  
Then that Demon would die.  
  
"Boy, When you are finished your practice meet me in my room."  
  
  
  
Akane looked around; she was perched on the roof of a local butcher's waiting for an opportunity to snatch a meal when she sensed a presence. Seeing no one she centered herself and began to scan for auras.  
  
Her eyes widened, it wasn't so much as an aura as it was an absence of one. Demon's who could hide themselves that way were very powerful.  
  
Thinking that way she prepared herself, which was why when Ranma appeared she lashed out full strength and speed she had while not producing her black-blue battle aura.  
  
Ranma gave out an 'Oomph' barely managing to absorb a portion of the blow, merely bruising his ribs instead of shattering them. He then impacted into the opposite building and slid down to the street.  
  
Seeing whom it was Akane rushed over to him. "Ranma you all right?"  
  
He moaned then slowly stood up. "Ya, sorry for startling you."  
  
"My fault, I thought you were some sort of demon with the way you were hiding your aura." Akane looked ashamed.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I've only encountered Demons who can hide themselves as well as that, some you can't even detect because they manage to blend themselves into a area's natural aura."  
  
"You mean you could detect me?"  
  
"Only that someone was there and when I tried to look around I only got an approximate location, instead of emitting an aura Ranma, I could see the absence of an aura."  
  
"Oh, cool, something I could work on!" Ranma begin to think on how he could improve the Umi-Sen-Ken.  
  
"So, why'd you come here Ranma?"  
  
"Huh? Oh I thought you might like to learn the Umi-Sen-Ken!"  
  
"Really?" Actually Akane was perplexed by the ultimate trust Ranma showed in her, he told her everything. From techniques to childhood problems.  
  
It was all she could do to return the favor… but it was still hard to talk about certain things in her life. Time and time again she recounted another episode of the last two years, sometimes he would nod and then grin that infuriating grin while he degraded into teasing her.  
  
Other times where he would just sit there at let her know there was someone there for her.  
  
"Yup, c'mon, then we can practice for my match!"  
  
"Fine Ranma, honestly is the Art all you think of?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Well, you were going to show me the Umi-Sen-Ken?" She said grinning as she changed the subject at his outraged expression.  
  
"Ah sure, sure. C'mon"  
  
With that Ranma jumped back onto the roof and began to head to their training ground, Akane slowly flying above him, exchanging chi-blasts and Kijinraishuudan's.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N:  
  
Hello again, perhaps you are wondering why I'm having Ranma learning so many deadly techniques and using that amulet to gain strength?  
  
That would spoil the story if I told you! 


	6. Chapter Five: Weight Loss Gymnastics

Engagements  
  
Oh such joy in one  
  
On an eve of destruction  
  
Such happiness  
  
Followed by such sorrow  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A small squat creature knocked on the door to a room deep within the darkened house.  
  
"Enter."  
  
Opening the door the creature approached a rich mahogany desk where a man sat scribbling on a piece of parchment with a quill.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We have a problem Lord. There is a mortal associating with the Demoness Akane."  
  
"This concerns me… how?"  
  
"Lord he is friends with her, he is teaching her more Martial Arts." The creature trailed off.  
  
"Friends with her, this could be bad, go on."  
  
"Sir, two nights ago one of the crow demons we have assigned to her saw something… that concerns me even further, around an hour ago I received additional reports that alarm me further."  
  
"Before you do that, tell me what kind of 'friend' is this mortal?"  
  
"A good one Lord, he teases her, plays with her and tries and make her smile more often."  
  
"That is not good, if her chi becomes more balanced she will become increasingly hungry." The man rose from his desk revealing his almost skeletal figure. He began pacing.  
  
"I thought her loneliness would cause her to become one of us, it might have taken a few centuries but it would have been worth it."  
  
He stopped and frowned slightly, mortals and demons alike would quiver in fear at that frown.  
  
"Kill him."  
  
"Sir that might be a problem."  
  
"Why?" His frown deepened and the creature stopped himself from bolting, it would only make his demise more painful if he didn't answer the question to his Lord's pleasure.  
  
"He is as powerful as any Warrior class Demon, I believe he could take on a Soldier if pressed and take down a Knight If he gets lucky. There is also the problem with him I came to talk to you about sir."  
  
The man's scowl was thunderous now. "What?"  
  
"Sir, two nights ago the Crow demons saw a Shadow bonding with him."  
  
"A Shadow?"  
  
"Yes, not only that yet the Crow demons detected a Shadow already bonded with him from before."  
  
"Is that possible?"  
  
"Sir, the two Shadows were Neko-Ken fragments."  
  
"WHAT!? Has he Changed?" The man was now holding the creature in his hand, choking him in the air.  
  
"Yes, but only once and only for a minute while asleep. It gets worse sir, I have detected movement of the other eleven fragments of the Neko-Ken."  
  
The man set the creature down.  
  
"Call the Council." His face was grim.  
  
"Lord?"  
  
"NOW!"  
  
"Lord! I shall do your will!"  
  
"This could be bad, this could be very bad, the Prophecy might be at hand."  
  
  
  
"You ready for your match today Ranma?"  
  
"Yup, can't wait, that Black Petunia girl creeps me out. Did you know she was hanging all over me all day yesterday?"  
  
"I saw it." Akane was still slightly miffed; she had wanted to bop Ranma on the head the whole time for not trying to get her off of him very hard.  
  
"C'mon Akane I told ya she just wouldn't let go!"  
  
"Sure." She looked away from him then grinned.  
  
"Well Ranma, you will just have to make it up to me somehow."  
  
"Uhhhh like what?" Ranma seriously didn't know how to deal with this Akane. It was like she was jealous or somethin but that was impossible.  
  
"Hmmmmm… Let me think about that, now it's almost time for your match go on!"  
  
"See ya Akane!"  
  
  
  
Kuno Kodachi glared at her opponent as she dodged the first of her club blows. Not only did she have the gall to harm the Black Rose while exchanging greetings yesterday morning after her encounter with the wonderful Ranma, but Kodachi had heard from her delusional brother that this pig-tailed harlot held Ranma in thrall.  
  
"Ooh isn't it exciting ladies and gentlemen that isn't a rope it IS a steel rod!"  
  
Kodachi shivered slightly at the thought of being held in thrall and the brief image of Ranma. Ooh that would be simple delicious.  
  
"Strike of the Thousand Clubs!"  
  
But it was not to be that Demon had demanded she not use magic.  
  
As the match continued she something around her opponents neck that fairly glowed with demonic energies.  
  
So THAT was how the pig-tailed wench, who dared to use her darling Ranma's name, controlled him.  
  
Charging her ribbon with both her life energies and magic she struck out unerringly fast at the necklace.  
  
She would have only one chance at this, demonic creations had a weakness to this spell and it could cause a small explosion and also destroy the amulet.  
  
Channeling the spell through her already charged ribbon she didn't have time to react when the girl grabbed a ribbon somewhere and trussed up Kodachi like a chicken and tossed her out of the ring.  
  
By the time she had realized she was going to land too near the crowd to use her followers underneath the ring for assistance, the spell following her ribbon reached its target.  
  
The necklace around the red haired harlot suddenly crumbled to dust and Kodachi landed onto the ground.  
  
"The Winner Saotome RANMA!" The announcer shouted though her microphone. Then she started backing away; the winner was glowing a brilliant golden white.  
  
  
  
Ranma Saotome's chi that had been holding her body from being crushed from the awesome powers of the amulet suddenly had no resistance. It surged through her widening and opening new pathways through her body.  
  
The two Shadows within her were suddenly buffeted by the surge of energy and attempting to save themselves they bonded themselves completely to Ranma's life energy.  
  
As Ranma struggled to control her chi Akane stared in surprise, nothing like this happened to her, she had barely felt the effects of wearing it at thirty times her own weight.  
  
Snapping to a decision she called her aura, the blue-black shadow surrounded her and the moved to take the glowing girl to safety.  
  
  
  
Akane sat by her friend, she had been glowing for the last hour, her energy had actually been growing during that time despite the effects of putting off a visible aura, Akane knew that that could be very draining.  
  
"Ugh."  
  
"Ranma you all right?"  
  
"I think so?" The redhead said uncertainly.  
  
"Then could you stop glowing?"  
  
"Huh?" Ranma looked at herself; it was true she was glowing a pale gold.  
  
Concentrating slightly she recalled her aura. "There! What happened?" Ranma asked after she finished.  
  
"The training amulet was destroyed, she probably thought you were using it to enhance yourself. As to why you were glowing I don't know."  
  
Ranma thought about it, it was actually taking effort to suppress her aura, and she felt a lot stronger then before.  
  
"Hey Akane, mind if we spar I wanna test out if there's anything different."  
  
"Ok Ranma, lets go, I took you to the building just outside our sparring grounds."  
  
They both walked towards the large hole in the side of the building and hopped down.  
  
"Conditions?" Akane asked.  
  
"Ground only, first to knock the other on the back wins no restrictions on speed, strength or special attacks."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"BEGIN"  
  
Akane was slightly startled; she was almost fast as a combat specialized Demi-Lord.  
  
Akane was still faster though. She matched Ranma's speed after taking a few hits and then surpassed it slightly, striking her at half strength. Akane was slightly amazed that they didn't hurt Ranma as much as it should.  
  
It looked like Ranma was enhanced considerable with that aura he was putting out.  
  
He was about four times as strong and the equal amount as fast.  
  
Akane grinned; this was more like it.  
  
"Crimson BEAM!" She shouted scoring a direct hit on the smaller girl.  
  
"Plasma FLARE!"  
  
Ranma's return fire was dodged, then she managed to throw Akane.  
  
Ranma gloated slightly, she had forgotten about Akane's wings though, in a desperate attempt to gain an advantage even at the limits Akane had set upon herself Akane lashed out with her wings.  
  
Surprised Ranma was tripped over the rapidly moving wing and fell back onto her back.  
  
"I win Ranma!" She gloated over her friend.  
  
"Ya, I guess I'm not used to this new strength and speed, well if there's one thing the old man is good at it's being used as someone to test out new techniques on."  
  
Akane giggled at that, she still didn't forgive Genma for doing all those things to her friend.  
  
"Hey Akane, that was a nice move you did with your wing, you should use them more in sparring, see what you can do with 'em."  
  
Akane blinked and she brought one of her wings forward to look at.  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Ya, it was quite strong and it felt very hard."  
  
With that the two resumed another bout of sparring, Ranma testing out her new strength and speed and Akane trying out her wings. Akane discovered to her delight that Ranma had to leap far higher then before in order to avoid her combination leg/wing sweep.  
  
She also discovered that she didn't even feel the full power blows of Ranma on her wings, unlike those on her body. They made excellent shields, though the vacuum blades still penetrated her wings.  
  
Akane grinned, thanks to a desperation move she had discovered something else that Ranma didn't have that would further her Art! Something besides her demonic enhancements.  
  
  
  
Ranma shivered slightly, ever since he had woken up he had felt something near him that scared him. It felt like Cat.  
  
It was worse then the time where he had saw the Neko-Ken while examining his aura, the reason why was because he felt as if there was TWO Cats there.  
  
He remembered vaguely Akane telling him that a Shadow had attached himself to him so he could learn the Neko-Ken.  
  
He shivered again, if wanted to retain his balance he would have to focus, and focusing meant that he had to face himself.  
  
With two Cats that meant it was likely that he would face a part of himself he DIDN'T want.  
  
But he had to do it.  
  
So he did.  
  
He slowed his breathing and closed his senses, he knew Akane was there and she would not allow anything to hurt him.  
  
As he focused his mind on himself he began to glow the same white gold he had before. He had no room for concentration on maintaining his aura non- visible.  
  
As before he saw his aura, instead of mainly blue now it radiated a pure white gold, he could see other colors beneath the shimmering luminescence. Wondering what the white gold color represented he watched his chi rotate in his minds.  
  
Then he saw it, two small balls of black orbiting one another, just overlaying his chi, in fact they were closer to his chi then had the single one been before.  
  
Restraining from actually looking directly at them he approached them. He then noticed something else; shivers of black, then a silvery blue would flash across his chi representation periodically.  
  
Wondering what those were he waited to see if they would reappear.  
  
They did.  
  
  
  
Akane was getting worried, if Ranma stayed away too long people would begin to get suspicious.  
  
Nodding to herself she picked his limp body up and jumped through the window.  
  
Akane headed to the place where Ranma called home and where Akane had spent her childhood.  
  
The Tendo Dojo  
  
Akane landed on the roof and set him down, after checking to make sure he was all right and fairly comfortable she hopped to the opposite roof and invoked the Umi-Sen-Ken, it was _much_ better at masking her presence then the Doctor's masking trick. With a sigh she waited for her friend and beloved to awaken.  
  
Akane then laughed quietly at herself, listen to her, she was actually in love with Ranma!  
  
She knew that Ranma would never return the favor, ah well it was for the best. He deserved better then a Demon in the making.  
  
  
  
Ranma muttered to himself in his mind "What was that?"  
  
"That Child, was Jusenkyou and the magic powering the demon amulet." Ranma shuddered at the voice. It was the voice of sounds he had heard in the Pit, those of enraged cats fighting over some food.  
  
A second voice appeared this one was the hisses of the cats that had backed away when he fell into the Pit for the first few times. "Yes Host, Death magic and Demon magic now part of you! Make you worthy of Us. Host even stronger now!"  
  
"Us?" Ranma choked out to the too horrifying voices.  
  
"We are two pieces of the Shadow known to man as the Neko-Ken, we had grown far too powerful and a demon, along with several human magic users shattered us." It was the first voice.  
  
"Ever since We shattered We searched out different Hosts depending on what the Fragment liked." The second voice.  
  
"My friend here is drawn to fear, me I'm drawn to bloodlust, the two other closest Fragments are drawn to berserker rage and mother-protecting-cubs respectively."  
  
"Fear in Host is unsettling. Yes? I take fear away."  
  
"Yes, yes Fear, we know… You see because Fear creates a cat persona in its hosts to fight it is rather simple minded."  
  
Ranma managed to break through his terror at the voices. "Why me?"  
  
"Host is STRONG. Host strong as DEMON. Host RE-FORGE Neko-Ken with strength. Host grow stronger, Host help Neko-Ken?"  
  
"Will I stop being afraid of c-c-c-cats?"  
  
"When we join as one, yes."  
  
"Then Ok, I'll help"  
  
The two Shadows smiled.  
  
  
  
When Ranma had started to glow after winning the match Genma was slightly worried. When something had grabbed him off the ring he grew slightly more worried. Now that it had been two days since he had started glowing and Kasumi had found him on the roof Genma was frantic.  
  
Another three days passed when Ranma gave a slight sign of waking up, but he quieted down again after his aura flashed first a silver blue then midnight black.  
  
Growing depressed Genma was startled awake as his son suddenly leapt out of bed yelling loud enough to wake the dead.  
  
"Boy! Why were you unconscious for so long? What if you had been challenged?"  
  
"Aw shaddup Oyaji, my chi was out of whack, I couldn't have fought effectively that way, If I had been challenged I would have lost. I had to focus myself, that took a while."  
  
Genma slapped his son on the head for the remark.  
  
"And tell me Boy, why was your chi out of 'whack?'"  
  
"Huh? Oh the training amulet I was wearing got broke in my fight with Kodachi."  
  
"Training amulet?"  
  
"Ya, my sparring partner, Kan, gave it to me, it increased my weight so I felt I was training constantly, resting or not. I believe I was up to twelve times my own weight when that crazy chick broke it."  
  
"So that is why you were moving so slow. Tell me boy did it do any good?"  
  
"I'm about three times as fast and three times as strong as I was before I think. Plus my chi has increased by about ten times."  
  
Genma's eyes sparkled that training method sounded almost as good as the Neko-Ken.  
  
"You going to continue that boy?"  
  
"Maybe, if Kan has another amulet."  
  
Ranma had made up the name Kan because it wouldn't do for his father to know that his sparring partner was Akane, the creature his father wanted to kill.  
  
"Well boy, its time to see how much of an edge you have lost while sleeping for a week."  
  
  
  
After beating Genma into submission Ranma entered the house.  
  
"Hello Ranma-kun how are you?"  
  
"All right Kasumi."  
  
"Would you mind doing me a favor?"  
  
Ranma didn't even consider it, Kasumi was the best cook he had ever met and she deserved anything he could do for her. "Sure, go ahead."  
  
"I need to go shopping but father is a little too busy at the moment to carry everything I need."  
  
"Say no more, be glad to help."  
  
"Oh good, we can leave right away. Thank you Ranma-kun." Kasumi smiled sweetly.  
  
"No prob."  
  
As the left the door Ranma tried to start up a conversation.  
  
"So how's it going between ya and the doc?"  
  
"It is going well, he isn't acting so silly around me." Kasumi giggled slightly.  
  
"That's nice to hear." Ranma briefly shuddered after he remembered the time he had a rather nasty bruise and had gone to get the doctor to check it for him.  
  
Kasumi had shown up and he had ended up looking like a human pretzel.  
  
Kasumi passed him a bag full of ingredients, interrupting his reverie.  
  
Ranma idly noted some guy kissing a girl then getting decked by both her and her boyfriend. In the background she heard the shrill cries of 'Jean- Paul, Jean-Paul give me Jean-Paul.'  
  
"Shall we continue?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Three more stops and Ranma's arms were loaded with goods when he got splashed. Now a she, she scowled at the old woman then shrugged it off.  
  
Then she heard something that she had never expected to hear again.  
  
"RANMA, SHAMPOO KILL!"  
  
"Yipe!" She ducked the first bonbori strike and jumped over the second, quickly jumping over the nearest roof with groceries still in hand, yelling over her shoulder. "Shampoo you're the only person I can't deal with!"  
  
Jumping down into the alleyway she was splashed by warm dirty dishwater. Ranma saw Shampoo looking around for him and sighed in relief when he caught back up to Kasumi.  
  
"Oh my, who was that?"  
  
"Crazy girl who wants my head because I beat her at a tournament in China!"  
  
"You have such interesting friends Ranma."  
  
Ranma stared at Kasumi in disbelief, the only thing that seemed to phase the girl was Akane.  
  
In silence they continued into the Tendo house where they were greeted by the sight Ranma had left behind not minutes before.  
  
"What is SHE doing here?"  
  
The panda sitting at the table lifted up a sign 'She followed me home!'  
  
"Look Ranma it's your friend from before."  
  
"Is Ranma?" Ranma nodded a little shakily. "Man." The Chinese girl said patting Ranma's chest. "Yup I'm a man all right." He said nervously.  
  
Shampoo turned and pointed one of her bonbori at Kasumi.  
  
"You tell Shampoo where girl-type Ranma is."  
  
"Oh dear, I'm afraid I don't know."  
  
"You lie, tell truth or I hurt!"  
  
Shampoo took a swing at dear sweet, gentle Kasumi Ranma acted. With a single kick he shattered the bonbori and struck the Amazon in the chest, knocking her against the wall, and knocking her out.  
  
"Oh dear, you defeated her again." Ranma jerked up as if shot. He paled and began to blabber.  
  
'Kasumi is right!' The panda held out another sign.  
  
"Ooh Ranma now why should _this_ be a problem hmmmm?"  
  
Ranma glared at Nabiki then started as the girl groaned and rose. He began to babble at her at how this was an accident.  
  
Then she kissed him.  
  
"Wo Ai Ni Airen" She said and sighed against his chest.  
  
"He… Hey! Whatcha doing!"  
  
This was like Kodachi!  
  
In response the girl handed him a small booklet. "Amazon Tribal Law"  
  
Nabiki gleefully snatched the booklet out of Ranma's hands and began to read.  
  
"It says here if an outsider female defeats an Amazon she must hunt her to the ends of the Earth and kill her. If the outsider is male however the Amazon warrior must wed him."  
  
Nabiki gave an evil giggle. "Ooh too bad Ranma, looks like you have another suitor."  
  
Ranma shivered, what was happening to him?  
  
First he gets engaged to Nabiki, who hated his guts and charged an arm and a leg for every little thing.  
  
Then came Kodachi with her clinging and narcotics so she could steal kisses from him.  
  
If those two weren't bad enough he has almost every single girl staring at him in school.  
  
Now Shampoo who wanted to kill his girl type and marry his guy type.  
  
Both of them he didn't want to happen.  
  
Moving out of Shampoo's grip he backed out into the yard waving his hands in protest.  
  
"There ain't no way I'm marryin ya Shampoo!"  
  
He ran around to the side of the house, Shampoo close in pursuit.  
  
After hopping onto the middle of a stone fountain so Shampoo couldn't get near him he turned around. "Now Shampoo I can't marry ya, I'm already engaged for my family honor, even if I don't like it! You got that?"  
  
Shampoo giggled, nodded and leaned against the stone fountain. "Wo Ai Ni."  
  
"I don't think ya get it."  
  
He hopped down and grabbed her by the shoulders. Shampoo reciprocated by snuggling against him. "Sh-Shampoo! You gotta listen to me, I'm…"  
  
Ranma was interrupted and Shampoo suddenly was all business as the voice was heard, with the threat clear in the tone.  
  
"Well, well Ranma, got someone else there I see."  
  
Knowing full well he was being observed by other's he put on his demon hunter's mask.  
  
"Akane."  
  
The two sisters watching from around the corner gasped. They looked; yes there was Akane, in all her black-blue-winged glory, sitting on the wall smirking.  
  
Silently Ranma thanked her and in response Akane's golden orbs twinkled with laughter in response.  
  
"'Scuse me Shampoo looks like Akane here wants to play a bit."  
  
The Amazon warrior nodded fearfully, she was an Amazon but this girl scared her.  
  
Gathering shimmering gold energy that was darker then his now visible aura he called out his attack.  
  
"Plasma FLARE."  
  
His blast struck the air squarely; Akane had already lifted herself into the air with her large wings.  
  
Ranma grinned then closed his eyes. "I wanted to try this out, no time like the present."  
  
Concentrating a sword hilt began to form in his hands. "Tendo-Saotome Forbidden Techniques Combined: AIR CLEAVER!"  
  
Above the hilt was a shimmering mass of air, which seemed to cut the very space around it. He waved it a few times and there was a ripping sound as the very air was cut.  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Very nice Ranma, shall we?"  
  
"Let's dance!"  
  
Both figures leapt at each other, Akane dodging the sword to sole else, her grunting when his fist that was not holding the blade and his feet hit her.  
  
Blurring they moved out of the yard.  
  
The occupants stared after them; they had both seemed to enjoy fighting like that.  
  
Genma looked stern, Soun's face was bewildered.  
  
"They looked like they have known each other for a while."  
  
"Yes Saotome."  
  
"The demon was good, she was actually faster then the boy."  
  
"Yes, much faster then I had thought."  
  
"Akane is playing with Ranma I'm afraid he will only kill that Demon if he gets incredible lucky."  
  
"Is there no hope Saotome?"  
  
"There might be. Did you see what the boy did though Tendo?"  
  
"Sheer brilliance Saotome"  
  
"He combined two techniques in our Schools flawlessly Tendo!"  
  
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a large cracking sound. A beam of red light laced the Nerimian night sky, closely followed by beam of golden light.  
  
"Gods, what power that boy has." Genma whispered  
  
  
  
"Thanks Akane, that Shampoo actually thought I was going to marry her because I defeated her."  
  
"No problem Ranma."  
  
"I'd rather marry you then anyone else 'round here!"  
  
Akane grinned. "Is that a proposal?"  
  
Ranma turned and stared at her. "WHAT!?"  
  
"That's OK Ranma I can wait." Her grin grew wider.  
  
"Wait?" He squeaked.  
  
"Oh Ranma, I just want you to be happy. If its me you'll be happy with, well I can't say I'll complain. Of course you are engaged to my ex-sister and that Shampoo's tribal laws already marry you. Its not like I have much of a chance is there." She fluttered her eyebrows and her grin grew even more so at his flummoxed expression.  
  
Then Ranma grinned back at her as an idea popped into his head to get her back for her zinger. "Your right, it isn't like you have a chance… unless."  
  
Akane frowned, now what was Ranma getting at. "Unless?"  
  
Ranma concentrated and his aura flared. "Will you, formally Tendo Akane, now Akane the Demoness, Eater of Demons, Bane of All, Hunter of the Hunters, marry me?"  
  
He presented to her a ring, the band was white-gold, in a bed of sapphires and rubies sat a single diamond that if you looked closely enough had a living flame trapped in it's center.  
  
Her eyes widening she whispered. "Ranma…how?" Gesturing at the ring.  
  
"Say yes and I'll tell ya!"  
  
Akane grinned. "Yes." She took the ring and put it on her finger.  
  
"You know how you can create chi weapons to exist outside the body?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Same principal except that..." He pointed to the ring. "…Is a little more permanent, it actually is a physical representation of my chi, completely separate from me. So Akane-chan, you will always carry a piece of me around!"  
  
Her eyes glowed. "Ranma I'll hold you to this proposal if you don't fall for another girl in two years." She grinned as he paled. "Remember, you just proposed to me, only I can take that back."  
  
Seeing his panicked expression she grinned again. Ranma was so funny like this! And now she had proof that he at least saw her as a girl instead of just a friend and sparring partner.  
  
"Ranma, relax, it's for two years, even if you don't fall in love with someone else we can always get it annulled. Honestly I said I'd hold you to the promise that we'd get married, I didn't say we'd have to stay married!"  
  
"Plus…" She continued as she saw him relax. "I want to try out married life once." She grinned wickedly at the next thought, this was a little naughty but what the hell, and she was a demon. "I don't want to die a virgin and I'm not going to do _it_ without being married first!"  
  
Ranma stiffened, paled then fell over. Akane giggled, she had never seen someone pale, then redden so fast, and that nosebleed, it was a lot more then she had expected.  
  
"So where you going to take me?" Akane asked after Ranma had recovered.  
  
"Huh? Take you?"  
  
"Ranma when a guy proposes he usually does it _after_ a romantic date, like a moonlit walk or candlelit dinner. Since you proposed after a grueling battle across the rooftops, which I might add isn't romantic, we need to go on our date!"  
  
"Uh… sure." Ranma decided to humor his friend, maybe she deserved to go on a few dates, even if it was with him. After all she couldn't exactly wait for someone to ask her.  
  
Ranma then grinned; he knew exactly what to do. He had been helping Kasumi a bit in the kitchen and ten years on the road with his Oyaji did nothing but help him learn to cook a decent meal.  
  
Maybe a nice dinner cooked just for her would satisfy this strange mood she was in.  
  
Ranma also knew one of her hideouts had a nice dining table and working kitchen. For some reason she didn't use the kitchen much but he could always grab the ingredients he needed from the nearby shops.  
  
"C'mon Akane!"  
  
Akane, curious, followed him. Ranma would occasionally flicker as he went into the Umi-Sen-Ken, grabbing food from the nearby stores.  
  
Her eyebrows quirked when they reached one of her more richly furnished hideouts.  
  
"Go and sit at the table, dinner will be ready soon." He paused, she had said something about candles?  
  
Well he didn't have any candles but how about a low power ball of chi!  
  
Separating some more of his essence he left it floating gently above the table.  
  
  
  
Akane had been sitting patiently staring into the gentle glowing ball of chi when she heard Ranma coming in from the kitchen.  
  
She laughed at the sight. "Show off!" She then grinned at Ranma's indignant expression.  
  
Ranma had around three dishes balancing on each arm, holding another in his hands and one on his head.  
  
Carefully he placed a plate in front of her, complete with chopsticks. Then setting everything else down he served her, then served himself.  
  
"Let's eat." Ranma said cheerfully and began to eat slowly; Akane had said a romantic dinner that meant manners and stuff.  
  
Akane watched Ranma for a few minutes and began to eat also, savoring the first real meal she had had since she stole some dinner around six months ago. This was certainly better then the instant ramen and meat and bread she usually had.  
  
"So Ranma how did you meet Shampoo."  
  
"Well it went something like this…"  
  
The two continued their idle conversation throughout the night.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
You might be wondering where Ranma is compared to the magna in strength, speed, endurance and skill.  
  
Speed, strength and endurance he is slightly higher then at the end of the manga, skill wise though would only be slightly better then he would be at this point in the magna because of his lack of highly skilled opponents like Ryoga, Cologne, Happosai, etc.  
  
Though he does have more special techniques.  
  
The Yama-Sen-Ken  
  
The Umi-Sen-Ken  
  
The Plasma Flare (comparable to a high-end Moko Tokobashi)  
  
Tendo-Ryu forbidden techniques (Chi forged weapons)  
  
Oh Ranma's memory of his conversation with the cats is completely forgotten, he will only remember when he confronts another Shadow or talks to the Fragments in his mind. 


	7. Chapter Six: The First Test

Demons came today  
  
The hid in my teacher  
  
They hid in friends  
  
When they came out  
  
Blood sprayed me  
  
Then a demon came out of me  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma shuddered; she had awoken this morning to find Shampoo almost naked in her futon with her. Then afterwards Nabiki had splashed her and then Shampoo had run after her still clad in barely anything chasing her with a huge Chinese sword.  
  
After grabbing the kettle on top of the stove that was kept warm at all times now for the Saotome's he poured it on himself.  
  
Startled he heard a clatter behind him and turned around.  
  
"Ranma girl-type turn to Ranma boy-type?" Ranma nodded, he wasn't sure how Shampoo was going to take this.  
  
"Shampoo kill!"  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and waited.  
  
He no where to go, Shampoo blocked the only exit.  
  
Surprised that he wasn't dead he re-opened his eyes. Shampoo had tears in eyes.  
  
"Bye Liao." She turned and ran out of the house.  
  
Ranma blinked. "She took that better then I thought."  
  
  
  
Three largish cats sat looking at the Tendo Dojo.  
  
Out of the darkness two others joined them.  
  
They arranged themselves into a circle and the bone white cat nodded its head.  
  
~ It is time for the test. ~  
  
~ The enemies will arrive tomorrow. ~  
  
~ Where are the other ones? ~  
  
~ They will show before the test. ~  
  
~ Will the Host be able to access the two Fragments already within it? ~  
  
~ No, the first fragment that bonded to the Host was Fear. ~  
  
~ We shall learn if the Host is strong enough, then we will be one once more soon. ~  
  
~ It might take as much as a year for the Host to grow powerful enough. This test is to determine if he can. ~  
  
~ Or she. ~  
  
There was a quiet chuckle.  
  
~ What of the Hunter? ~  
  
~ She will not interfere unless we harm the boy. ~  
  
~ Good thing the Demon race has provided the tools for the test. ~  
  
As one the cats stood and disappeared into the shadows.  
  
  
  
Ryoga closed his eyes in frustration; he hadn't been able to find the Tendo Dojo since that night when Ranma had chased him.  
  
He had to warn the people Ranma was living with; otherwise they could be in great danger.  
  
He also had to find out a way for him to get stronger or to weaken Saotome some how.  
  
It was then when he saw him, Ranma's father.  
  
Ryoga called out. "Saotome-San!"  
  
"Yes, may I help you?" The older man turned around, he had just spent another day working at Tofu's.  
  
"May I speak to you?"  
  
"Sure, follow me." They both walked towards the Tendo Dojo.  
  
As they sat down at the table Ryoga asked. "Is they're anyone else here?"  
  
"Yes the Tendo's"  
  
"Could you call them? This concerns them also."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Tendo, Kasumi, Nabiki may I talk with you in the dining room?"  
  
Various calls of acknowledgement came throughout the house.  
  
"Well if it isn't the lost boy."  
  
Ryoga flushed. The Tendo's sat down.  
  
"I have something important to tell you about Ranma."  
  
"Is that so. Do tell."  
  
"I suppose I should tell you my history with Saotome Ranma. While in junior high I competed with Ranma for the final bread at lunchtimes. The jerk always got it before me so I decided I had enough and I challenged him to a final duel. When I arrived four days late Ranma was gone and I followed him, cursing his name. That's when I received my curse. A small redhead was chasing a panda and while I looked down at Jusenkyou they knocked me into the Heitoniichuan, or spring of drowned piglet. After surviving the guide and panda almost eating me I followed Ranma back to Japan. After first challenging him at school twice and then at his home I discovered something horrible. Ranma conversing with a demon. He called it Akane, they were working together to deceive everyone around them to think that they were enemies by doing mock fights. I saw Ranma throw something at Akane and it hit her hand completely destroying it, the hand regenerated in seconds! They laughed about it!"  
  
Genma turned white, Nabiki arched an eyebrow and Kasumi muttered a quiet 'Oh My'.  
  
"So what you are saying is Ranma is in cahoots with Akane?" Nabiki said dubiously, she could see Akane having some minions but Ranma?  
  
Ryoga nodded then spoke again. "I ask you not to reveal your knowledge, if you do you could all be in serious danger."  
  
"What are you going to do Ryoga?" Soun asked.  
  
"Train enough till I'm strong enough to kill them both, I'll probably have to fight them both at the same time."  
  
Genma and Soun nodded. "I will train you Ryoga. That is if you told me the truth" Genma said seriously, this was beyond bad. Ranma knew the forbidden techniques of both their schools and had mastered them to a level Soun and Genma had not.  
  
Soun spoke up as well his eyes cold, the Demon had once again stolen his chance of happiness, of seeing the schools united. "I shall train you as well."  
  
"I should tell you I have difficulty with directions and I get lost easily." This evil had to be destroyed, he had to be patient and not let his anger at Ranma overcome him, and he was no where near powerful enough to challenge either the Demon or Ranma.  
  
  
  
Ranma was shook out of his sleep as his danger sense went off. Seconds after he heard the screams, they seemed to echo throughout the building.  
  
Just as he was getting out of his seat. The wall behind the teacher exploded, a fragment hitting the teacher in the back of the head causing her slump against her desk.  
  
The dust cleared and there it stood, seven feet of purple muscle with a long whip-like tail it glanced around the classroom and strode forwards backhanding the desk and teacher away and into the wall.  
  
Ranma stared in horror the teacher didn't have a chance, the blow had probably shattered every bone in her body.  
  
Ranma stood there gaping in shock before the demon's next actions set him into action. Just as the demon rose it's arm again after slaughtering two stunned students Ranma called out his deadly attack.  
  
"Saidaikyuukijinraishuudan." Twice the size of the kijinraishuudan it was also twice as fast. Before the demon could kill a third student the vacuum blade severed its arm then tore through its chest.  
  
Ranma released his aura and spread out his senses.  
  
There were fifteen demons in the building, he then shuddered as he felt two of them, and they were very powerful.  
  
Ranma hopped out of the building, hoping that he could get their attention before they killed everyone.  
  
"DEMONS MY NAME IS SAOTOME RANMA AND I CHALLENGE YOU!" He bellowed putting some of his chi into his voice, windows shattered from the sheer noise of it.  
  
~ Our prey comes out in the open, how nice of it. ~ One of the demons laughed. Holes began to appear in the building's walls as the demons emerged.  
  
-I hope Akane gets here quickly. -  
  
And with that the battle was joined. Ranma went at his fastest speed.  
  
"Dokujatankesshou!" Ranma slaughtered one demon. He then disappeared from sight, activating the Umi-Sen-Ken.  
  
Appearing between the demons he called out "NOVA!"  
  
His released chi incinerated three of the weaker demons and left two others stunned and burned.  
  
Two quick calls of 'Plasma Flare' destroyed the two stunned demons he quickly disappeared again only to be caught by surprise when one of the demons struck him with a fist when he reappeared.  
  
Gasping aloud he felt his side. That single blow had cracked some of his ribs.  
  
He would have to be extra careful.  
  
He also couldn't use the new Nova attack because of how draining it was. Narrowing his eyes he began to channel his chi through his limbs he disappeared from sight again and the demon was struck from behind with unseen blows.  
  
Ranma then appeared in the same spot and struck out with a loud shout. "Moukokaimonha!" Which ripped the demon a hole through its back.  
  
Ranma panted, he had only destroyed eight demons and there were eight to go.  
  
The rest of demons were weary now; they had lost one leader. Seeing their hesitation Ranma called on the Tendo-Saotome forbidden combination techniques to make a weapon, he needed something to stay out of range. A naginata would do nicely.  
  
The weapon flickered into being, its vacuum blade hissing in the air. The long wooden pole with two-foot blade on it stood in his hands. Ranma dropped to a ready stance and beckoned with his free hand.  
  
Seeing the demons still hesitate he began to spin the pole-arm in his hands. The vacuum blade cut through the ground and air with equal ease leaving a long trench where it had passed through the hard cement.  
  
Without fanfare his mind still slightly in shock from the bloodshed he charged at the demons, leaping over their slightly panicked black chi attacks.  
  
One demon had its legs sheared out from under him, another had half it's face caved in from the blunt metal end of the naginata.  
  
Finishing off the crippled demon, his blade then ripped through first the ground and then into a low, bulky demon that was approaching him from the other side, cutting it roughly in two.  
  
The remaining four demons stared at Ranma, they all together had only hit him once, and it had taken a Demi-Lord to do it. Ranma was covered in different covered liquids that had sprayed from the fallen demon bodies.  
  
Ranma also was favoring his left side but it wasn't hampering his combat ability much.  
  
Ranma held the naginata's lightly lowered blade first towards the ground waiting for the demons to make the next move.  
  
Ranma blurred once again as he took out another demon by tearing off it's head with a knife edged hand, then turned to the next one, gave it a grim smile as he slashed with the blade diagonally across its chest.  
  
~ Looks like this boy is much tougher then the Lord of the Council predicted. You go I'll stay and fight. ~  
  
The other demon nodded and quickly ran off. Ranma stared after him and snarled. Raising his blade and pointing at the fleeing demon he whispered 'kijinraishuudan' and watched as the vacuum blade flew from the wooden staff he held in his hands and pierced the chest of the demon who gave off a shriek. A few seconds later the blade on the naginata regenerated itself.  
  
Ranma gave the last demon a look promising death.  
  
~ Looks like the Lord won't know what happened here besides we died. Oh well ~ The demon muttered to itself.  
  
The demon blurred into speed and began to strike out at the boy. Seconds later and he fell back and grinned, the boy right arm was now dangling. The boy glanced at his arm distastefully and the Demon watched in astonishment as the pole-arm in his arms shortened and changed to a long sword. Maybe the mission would be successful after all.  
  
Ranma was interrupted from his battle when a voice floated over the school grounds.  
  
"Little Demon, so you want to _play? _"  
  
The demon shuddered, it was HER!  
  
"You hurt people in MY home… You hurt Ranma…!" Her voice descended to a growl.  
  
"What is this Council?" Akane landed with a soft thump, three meters in front of the demon, between Ranma and the demon.  
  
The demon shivered and remained silent. He watched Akane stride towards him and grip him by the throat, the demon couldn't move; the fear was so complete.  
  
She wasn't supposed to be here!  
  
She was supposed to be out of the ward checking on her stash on things!  
  
How had she known they were attacking?  
  
~ Little Demon Answer Me, or I'll Make Your Demise Very, Very Painful ~ The demon shook its head.  
  
Then the demon began to scream as its life energies were drained.  
  
After a few torturous seconds the pain stopped. ~ Well? ~ When no answer was forthcoming Akane became impatient and drained the demon dry. The Demon's shell disintegrated and Akane observed the other Demon's essences as they began to gather the energy needed to rebuild their bodies, straining themselves so they could get away from her.  
  
Her enhanced hearing could pick out the gibbering of demons as she looked around.  
  
""Ranma you all right?  
  
He grimaced as he re-absorbed the sword. "Just a few cracked ribs and a broken arm."  
  
"Let me deal with these and I'll carry you over to Tofu's."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Oh, remember what I said about demons bodies?"  
  
At his shake of the head she continued.  
  
"Demon's don't really have a physical body, though they need one to interact with humans so they form one of their own with their power, the more powerful a demon, the more powerful its body. All their bodies are mortal, for they need certain organs to keep their bodies running so they can be struck dead if hit with enough force in the right vital spot. Once their bodies are destroyed you have to destroy their essences otherwise the demons will merely build a new body."  
  
"Oh." Ranma looked dubious. Akane smirked and with one giant heave of her ability to eat demons chi she drained the entire school of demon essence. Without the bodies to protect themselves they had no defense against her.  
  
"You did well Ranma, you managed to kill nine Warriors, four Knights and a Demi-Lord."  
  
Ranma scowled bitterly. "If I had woken up earlier people wouldn't have died."  
  
"Ranma you couldn't have helped it, some people would have died no matter what while they were looking for you."  
  
"Looking for me?"  
  
"I'm afraid so, they called you prey, that meant you were targeted."  
  
Ranma's eyes widened. "Will they come again?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Oh man that is NOT good."  
  
With that Akane swept Ranma into her arms and slowly, as not to jostle him too much, she carried him out of the gate walking.  
  
  
  
Nabiki frowned as she stepped out from behind a tree, Hibiki had told the truth, they treated each other as friends, Ranma had actually gave Akane a smile when he talked to her. What was worse Ranma had easily beaten fifteen demons in combat and only received a few broken bones through ill luck.  
  
From Genma's tales she knew that would only hold him up for a few days.  
  
Though that wasn't what horrified her.  
  
Akane has said that there most likely would be more attacks. Too many students had died today and what had happened here could happen at the Dojo.  
  
It was time for Saotome Ranma to move out of the Tendo house.  
  
She turned around and grimly listened to her lieutenant's reports.  
  
Three dozen dead, three of them teachers, several hundred thousand yen worth of damage.  
  
She nodded. Yes it was definitely time for him to move out. It wouldn't hurt that the engagement would be called off.  
  
  
  
Ryoga and Genma sat near the koi pond after listening to what Nabiki had said.  
  
First she had confirmed what Ryoga had said and told them just how deadly Ranma was.  
  
Then she had told them of her asking Ranma to stay away from the Dojo in case he endangered Kasumi of her father.  
  
Ryoga grinned at that, Nabiki was a shrewd one, and she had gotten Ranma away from the Dojo without raising suspicions.  
  
"Saotome-san is there any other weaknesses or abnormal abilities that Ranma possesses?"  
  
The slightly overweight man nodded his head once. "He has one weakness, it is his extreme fear of cats, just don't let him be near a cat for too long."  
  
"Cats? Why?"  
  
"I trained Ranma in the Neko-Ken when he was around six years old. You take the trainee and wrap him fish-sausage then toss him in a pit of starving cats. He didn't learn it right away and he developed the fear of cats, I tried everything to remove the fear. I tried sardines, fish cakes. And other various meats."  
  
"Did he learn it?"  
  
"Yes, it probably is as powerful as the Yama-Sen-Ken, not only that but it boosts his speed and power and he just doesn't tire. Just don't keep a cat near him for too long."  
  
Ryoga shuddered and nodded at the advice.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry for such a short chapter, Ranma has passed the test; next Cologne will arrive and join forces with Ryoga, Genma, and Soun in training to defeat the Demoness Akane and her human friend. 


	8. Chapter Seven: O Baba - the Honored Hag

O baba  
  
Old Wise One  
  
Elder of Ancient Tribe  
  
Teach me  
  
Let me Learn from your Wisdom  
  
I beg of thee  
  
O Baba  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7 – O Baba - the Honored Hag  
  
  
  
  
  
For the past week Akane had watched Ranma through the small window where Dr. Tofu had let the pig-tailed martial artist sleep.  
  
While awake the Doctor would show the young man various pressure points on the human body to keep him occupied from his broken ribs that were healing abnormally slowly.  
  
Every night Ranma would thrash around as much as his broken arm would allow him as nightmares invaded his sleep, Akane heard him begging his father and pleading for his mother about the cats. She felt a bottomless rage at Genma and it took all her will power too not to go and kill him.  
  
Every night a Shadow would wait until he calmed down. In a form of a Cat the Shadow would wait then dissolve into blackness and enter Ranma through his eyes, ears and nose.  
  
On the eleventh day just as Ranma's nightmares ended Akane spoke to the waiting Shadow. ~ Little Shadow what will happen when you enter? ~  
  
~ The Host will become slightly stronger, faster, more agile and have better reflexes. We will wait until the Host has enough power to re-forge us, and then it will be up to him to what happens after. It will take a bit more then a year, maybe less, for him to become strong enough. ~  
  
~ Very well little Shadow I shall speak to you again. ~  
  
To her vision Ranma's aura obtained a thirteenth small speak of black on it. Jusenkyou and the fading energies of the demon amulet flickered across his aura. Immediately Ranma's quietly glowing gold aura flashed black, blacker then the night around him.  
  
As the aura faded slightly Akane saw Ranma's form had drastically changed, he now had thick sleek black fur, his body had about doubled in size. His hands and feet sported large thick claws tinted with red, as if splotched with blood.  
  
She nearly flinched with surprise at the sight of the tail as Ranma turned over in his sleep.  
  
Abruptly as it appeared the black aura dissipated and Ranma shrunk into his normal form.  
  
Her eyes wide she whispered one thing. "Nezumi." Were-creature! The Shadows had turned her friend into a were-cat!  
  
She was powerless now to remove them, if she tried Ranma would die!  
  
Her eyes narrowed, she would have to help her friend control his newest curse. From the whispers she listened to from the nearby witches covens she knew were-creatures often had trouble controlling themselves.  
  
It looked like if Ranma went into the neko-ken he would not only change mentally now but physically. This was bad.  
  
  
  
The crone watched with beaded eyes, a Hunter here!  
  
There hadn't been a Hunter even before Joketsuzoku had been founded. Not only that but her new muko-dono had all thirteen Fragments of the horrible Neko-Ken.  
  
Her great-granddaughter was right he was a strong one, pity about her curse, with a cat form she couldn't approach her husband without having to be weary about water.  
  
What to do about the Hunter? In order for her great-granddaughter to win him over she would have to compete with a creature out of legends and a very, very powerful one at that.  
  
She nodded to herself, somehow she would have to deal with the Hunter, she would do it herself if necessary but maybe there would be some willing tools. The legends had spoke of the fear and hatred that surrounded the Hunter's, even Cologne had felt it, though she ignored it as much as possible, the Hunter would have made some very powerful enemies in this district, besides muko-dono's she felt several powerful aura's in the area.  
  
Maybe she could convince muko-dono using other methods. The Jusenkyou curse would possible provide proper motivation.  
  
Yes, the full body cats-tongue would do nicely. Perhaps she could train him too, she could tell he was extremely proficient in the Art and it was always a joy to teach the younger generation.  
  
If it failed she would have to train others to subdue him. Maybe if there was any suitable she could draw another strong young male into the tribe.  
  
  
  
"I turn into a c-c-cat?" Ranma was staring at Akane, his arm still hurt but it wasn't as bad. The news of what happened last night was shocking. Ranma turned into his worst nightmare.  
  
Akane nodded sadly, this was bad for Ranma, and he would be completely shunned if he lost control of his form when someone was watching. "I'll help you Ranma, I've heard of people being able to control when they transform."  
  
"Thanks Akane-chan."  
  
"Close your eyes." Ranma did so. "Now picture in your mind a cat in the form of a man."  
  
Akane watched as Ranma's form changed once again, though without the black aura. He filled out his Chinese clothes to near bursting point and his entire form seemed to exude a palatable sense of feline grace and power.  
  
His face remained largely unchanged, though only slightly feline like it was his eye's that drew her; they had become slit like a cat. The smoky blue-gray color almost seemed to glow.  
  
"You can open your eyes now Ranma." He did so and she turned him to look in the mirror at his new form.  
  
"You OK?"  
  
Ranma nodded jerkily, he looked like a c-c-c-c-c… THING!  
  
"Ranma close your eyes again and think about how you look when human."  
  
Slowly his form shrunk and became normal.  
  
"Good Ranma, now just keep the image of yourself while human firmly in your mind at all times no matter what and you won't change." She said after he had opened his eyes again.  
  
Ranma nodded. "What now?"  
  
"Well I'm going to look for clues on the Council that the demon talked about."  
  
"Ok, I'm getting bored sitting here, I think I'll probably go out for ice cream or somethin."  
  
Ranma watched Akane smile then fly off. She really did have a beautiful smile he mused as he hopped down off the roof. Changing into a girl he went towards the ice cream parlor.  
  
Walking slowly down the street enjoying the morning air her danger sense suddenly pinged. She dodged the swift strikes.  
  
"Well done muko-dono."  
  
There was an old wrinkled three-foot woman balancing on a gnarled staff, her eyes glittered with amusement.  
  
"Muko-Dono?"  
  
"You are to marry my great-granddaughter Shan Pu!" The old woman cackled and hopped on her staff to the nearest roof and out of sight.  
  
Ranma scowled and followed the old crone. Keeping an eye on her fleeing form was difficult but he managed to see where she had stopped.  
  
When Ranma managed to get behind her she cackled again.  
  
"Well done muko-dono, Shan Pu has chosen wisely! I am Ku Lon, Matriarch of the Amazons."  
  
She jabbed forward with her staff so quickly that even with his improved reflexes sparring with Akane couldn't dodge, tapping him lightly on the chest.  
  
"Soon muko-dono, soon you will be begging to marry my Shan Pu."  
  
"What was that about?" Ranma scratched his head.  
  
  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes, she hadn't been out of Nerima since Ranma had arrived, things had changed, and most of the demons had disappeared from the various wards of Tokyo. Only a few non-aligned evil entities still haunted the city.  
  
-Where have they all gone? - She wondered.  
  
It was if something had scared them off. It didn't do much beyond frustrate her plans of finding what the demon had meant by the Council, she had just feasted on the essences of several demons and the demon realm wasn't the only thing that spawned creatures with heavily unbalanced chi. Just the most powerful, and the most plentiful.  
  
Her face twisted into a grimace she headed back to Nerima, she thought she had felt something powerful enter her domain a few days ago but it had hidden itself well. It wasn't a demon though, no matter what, no demon could hide from her.  
  
Landing on top of the clinic Akane smiled gently as Ranma's aura moved through the building. By his position he was heading towards the furo.  
  
She lay back, spreading her wings full out enjoying the midday sun on her body. For five minutes she lay there until a piercing scream rent the sunlit air.  
  
-Ranma! -  
  
Her blue-black aura snapped into being and she disappeared from sight, only to reappear when she smashed through the window. She saw Ranma there panting, shaking her very red leg, like it had been scalded.  
  
"What's the matter Ranma?"  
  
Looking up the redhead spoke to the girl. "The water is boiling!"  
  
Dipping her hand into the furo she looked up. "Ranma it's only lukewarm."  
  
"Do you think lukewarm water would burn me like this?" She said pointing to her reddened leg.  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes and splashed Ranma gently, she watched her flinch and amazingly her skin reacted as if scalding hot water had splashed her.  
  
Akane's eyes flashed as she changed her vision to examine Ranma's aura, the shimmering gold skin that surrounded the girl seemed to be edged in flames, surrounding her almost evenly except where it grew brighter around her chest.  
  
"Ranma, something's effected your chi, you probably can only tolerate cold water. You can't change back without suffering tremendous pain."  
  
"What? I can't be a guy again?"  
  
"Talk to Dr. Tofu, maybe he will have an idea."  
  
Suddenly Ranma's eyes lit up. "The old ghoul!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"There was this old woman, said she was the great-grandmother of Shan Pu or somethin, she said I would soon be begging her to marry Shan Pu!"  
  
"Really?" Akane narrowed her eyes, someone had hurt her Ranma, in the worst place possible, his manhood. It was bad enough for him to have no hope of a cure but not to be able to turn back would be horrible for him.  
  
Seeing the look Akane was giving Ranma recognized it, it was the one she often wore when Ranma talked about Genma and Ranma had to convince Akane not to kill him, or when she talked about the demon's who committed atrocities. "Akane I'll deal with her."  
  
Reluctantly Akane nodded.  
  
  
  
Ranma was storming around Nerima looking for the ghoul who had cursed her more then she already was. Suddenly a purple blur blindsided him and something had wrapped him into a hold that disabled his every attempt to get loose. Well he could get loose but it would most likely break the bones of the girl holding him.  
  
"Airen happy to see wife?" It was Shan Pu.  
  
"Sh-Shampoo, I told ya I'm not your husband!"  
  
"Airen hate Shampoo." The girl started to cry softly.  
  
Panicking, he really hated to see a girl cry he stuttered out. "Now S- Shampoo I don't hate ya, I do like ya but - URK"  
  
Suddenly the affectionate Amazon assaulted him again.  
  
"Get Offa me Shampoo." After Ranma had extracted herself from Shan Pu's slackening grasp she asked the one lead she had on Ku Lon.  
  
"Hey where is that great-grandmother of yours?"  
  
"Great-grandmother? She in restaurant, Neko Hanten best ramen in Nerima!" Shan Pu pointed across the street.  
  
Ranma growled, in her current form it was a cute growl and it caused Shan Pu to giggle slightly.  
  
"OLD WOMAN WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!" She bellowed as she opened the door.  
  
"Greetings muko-dono, if you want the full-body cats tongue pressure point to be released I'll cure you, you just have to marry Shan Pu." She lightly fingered a purple case that had a string tied around her neck.  
  
"Aiya is Eternal Pheonix Pill, can make eater withstand any heat." Shan Pu whispered behind Ranma.  
  
"The cure!" Ranma blasted her way across the restaurant surprising the customers with the show as Ku Lon redirected her blurring hands and sent her flying out the open door.  
  
Ranma snarled and mentally rolled up her sleeves and went at her full speed this time.  
  
Though definitely not as fast as Akane at her best she could easily appear a blur to normal human sight.  
  
"Aiya. Airen is so fast!" Shan Pu whispered her trained eyes could barely make out Ranma's individual blows.  
  
Though Ranma was fast Ku Lon was faster and once again sent the enraged pigtailed, currently female martial artist flying out the door, this time up side down into the wall and sliding into the trash heaped against it.  
  
Something caught the stunned redhead's attention and she excitedly grabbed the piece of paper.  
  
'Hiring waitresses, only the best for the best ramen stop in Nerima. Come to the Neko Hanten'  
  
Ranma grinned and marched into the restaurant. "Hey old ghoul you still hiring." At her nod Ranma grinned cheekily. "You just hired the best waitress in Nerima!"  
  
  
  
"Its been three days Ranma, just let me deal with her. You're exhausted and you're getting no closer then the first day."  
  
Ranma gave a weary grin "Nah, thanks to her I'm getting a lot faster thanks to her pressing those strange pressure points on my arms, I think its maximizing my chi-flows or something."  
  
"Well reasoned muko-dono, I didn't think you would be able to spot that. Greetings honored Hunter."  
  
Both jerked in surprise. Akane was alarmed; she hadn't even sensed the Matriarch.  
  
A neutral expression upon her face she bowed at the older woman. "Greetings honored elder."  
  
"I came here to show you something muko-dono." Quickly setting a fire she scattered a few handful of chestnuts into the fire.  
  
"Behold a technique that has been feared by Chinese emperors for three thousand years. Katchyuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" With the shout came a sudden blurring of arms around ten times faster then Akane could reach without activating her aura.  
  
Both of them were interested in this, Akane more so because she could see the old woman's aura flow through her arms.  
  
"Now you try." She handed the bag of chestnuts to the young man/woman.  
  
~ Honored Hunter how do you mind my Shan Pu chasing after Ranma. ~  
  
Akane glanced at the old woman and replied in the same language.  
  
~ As long as she doesn't try to manipulate his mind through drugs and potions I will allow her pursuit of him, only if Ranma actually falls in love with her will I allow you to take him. ~  
  
The matriarch nodded, a piece of knowledge floated to her brain, some ancient texts from before her tribes existence had told of the Hunters extreme territorial and possessive instincts.  
  
"If Ranma goes with us will you follow?"  
  
Akane jerked as if shot, would she leave Nerima, her home, HER Nerima for Ranma. Yes she would, she would sacrifice Nerima and everyone in it to stay near Ranma.  
  
Reluctantly she nodded; she knew she shouldn't value one person's life so highly but she would.  
  
The Matriarch's eyes glittered with excitement as she watched Ranma try and fail the technique, if she got Ranma she would not only get a great addition to the tribe she would also get the greatest protector against the Demon realm on Earth, a Hunter of the Hunters!  
  
If Shan Pu failed to capture this young ones heart in one year she would adopt the boy, and bring him back as an honored member of the tribe, above all males in status, hell with his female half Ranma could be initiated fully into a tribe as a warrior!  
  
Shan Pu though would have an excellent chance, she was affectionate, beautiful, an excellent cook and an extremely warrior. If Ranma's heart hadn't already been captured by the Hunter that is.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, you need a rest! Your going to hurt yourself at this rate, you've had to go to Dr. Tofu's three times so far for campfire burns!"  
  
Ranma stared at her and scowled slightly. "Uh uh, I gotta get my cure. The old ghoul came yesterday and showed me the technique again, I know I'll get it soon."  
  
"Ranma, if you don't do something relaxing I'm going to put out every fire you start!"  
  
Ranma grumbled a bit. "Fine if I go to that fair will I be relaxed enough for ya?"  
  
Akane smiled at him cheerfully. "Good idea Ranma a fair should be great for you."  
  
-Wish she would wear something brighter, those black clothes really don't suit her smile, a light sky blue or yellow- Ranma thought as she walked towards the carnival.  
  
Akane smiled at the retreating back then turned to the campfire. -My turn! -  
  
"Katchyuu Tenshin Amaguriken." She whispered trying to copy the chi flows through her arms like she saw the old woman do. She scowled as she failed.  
  
"Again!"  
  
"Again!"  
  
Her voice faded as Ranma continued to walk.  
  
  
  
Ranma was enjoying herself immensely as she wandered through the fair, she had tons of things to eat and she had won practically every game she had played. Looking up from her ice cream cone at the sound of someone crying she wandered over.  
  
"What's the matter kid?"  
  
"I can't get a goldfish." *sniff* The boy pointed to a stall where a man cursed as the tiny paper net broke.  
  
Ranma wandered over and watched as the man cursed again. "How much." She asked the vendor.  
  
"Two hunnerd and fifty little lady. You keep all the gold fish you catch."  
  
Ranma cringed at the lady comment then smirked; this would get the idiot back.  
  
"The trick is speed." She said to the little boy who had followed her.  
  
Grinning her hands blurred, the thing with the net was that it was paper, and everyone knew how well wet paper held together. Move fast enough and the paper wouldn't stay still long enough to get wet.  
  
She smiled at the man's expression as she landed the last goldfish into the glass bowls. She was slightly puzzled by the euphoria on his face until he reached behind him and yanked out a huge tank of needlepoint teethed fish.  
  
"The only way you will get to keep all those fish if is you catch all my piranhas with your bare hands!" The man said speaking triumphantly, sure of his ploy would work.  
  
Ranma thought for a bit, all she would have to do is move so fast she wouldn't… get… wet.  
  
AHA that stupid technique!  
  
If she could do it she wouldn't lose her hands!  
  
"Alright I'll do it." She kneeled in front of the tank.  
  
"KATCHYUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"  
  
  
  
Akane was grinning ear from ear. She had mastered the technique!  
  
The sheer speed of it was exhilarating, briefly wondering how it would do with her aura she pushed the thoughts of testing her new found speed when a grumpy Ranma passed the roof she had been lounging on.  
  
"What the matter Ranma." She asked calling out lazily, the evening air combined with the steady heat of the sun was absolutely wonderful, especially after working out all day.  
  
"Huh, oh nothing really just upset at the old ghoul. I finally master the katchyuu tenshin amaguriken and get the pill from her and find out that she's switched the pill with a candy drop!"  
  
"Huh, that's too bad what are you going to do?" Akane was a little upset with the Elder, but she had to restrain herself, she wasn't threatening Ranma's life, just making him work for himself.  
  
"I'm gonna try and convince the old ghoul to give it to me. But that's for tomorrow."  
  
"See ya Ranma, lets spar after you confront her ok?"  
  
"Sure, haven't done that since the fight with those demons."  
  
With a slightly more upbeat walk Ranma headed towards the clinic and Akane lay back down, with so few demons in Tokyo and none of the non-aligned creatures nearby Akane decided to enjoy the peace while it lasted.  
  
  
  
Eyes glittered as they watched the young man practice with Genma and Soun, this one was skilled, and the boy would make a worthwhile investment.  
  
The name of Anything-Goes made her frown slightly though, Happosai certainly had produced two very capable warriors.  
  
Yes, she would train him, but not yet.  
  
She disappeared into the shadows.  
  
  
  
His Shan Pu was somewhere close; he had followed the horrible old hag who had kept them apart for so long.  
  
Somewhere in this city, somewhere in this district, was his beautiful and pure Shan Pu. She would be his! She would!  
  
No man, no demon, and certainly no Elder was going to stand in his way. No matter how much blood would be spilled, no matter how many lives would be taken.  
  
The Master of Hidden Weapons and Master of Dark Magic had arrived in Nerima.  
  
They would know fear!  
  
Mousse is here!  
  
  
  
Shan Pu scowled as she watched the greatest evil she had ever seen talk to her airen. Grandmother had warned her away from this one and told her not to interfere otherwise Shan Pu could lose her chances with Ranma and maybe lose her life.  
  
Her airen had somehow managed to befriend this Demon, this Akane. Watching him spar with her and joke with her was agony in itself. Because her great- grandmother had warned her about approaching her husband while in cat form she couldn't show him how much worthier she was then this Demon of his attention.  
  
Then a stray scent was picked up on the breeze.  
  
GODS!  
  
Not him, anything but HIM!  
  
She had to warn her airen to be wary; Mousse was incredibly powerful and jealous to the extreme.  
  
She had lost many male friends because of him.  
  
Damn him! He wouldn't take this one away from her, he wouldn't! This was the first time she had felt anything this powerful for anybody or anything.  
  
  
  
Nabiki had been tailing Ranma for quite a while, cataloging when and where he would meet her ex-sister.  
  
The more Nabiki watched the more puzzled she grew, her ex-sister was… nice… almost shy. Nabiki would have thrown it all out as an act until she witnessed her actually letting Shan Pu live after her rather obvious attempts at seducing Ranma. Also Kodachi was left unharmed despite her annoying laugh and her habit of paralyzing Ranma to steal a kiss.  
  
Watching their teasing and sparring reminded her of watching her mother and father sometimes, back before she grew really ill.  
  
And those few moments of closeness…  
  
Were Ranma and the Demoness Akane actually falling in love?  
  
That was impossible.  
  
She was a Demon for god's sake.  
  
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong though. Were the last two years of fearing Akane wrong?  
  
Was she wrong?  
  
…  
  
  
  
Ryoga panted from exhaustion, he only slept six hours a night and trained non-stop during the day. He could feel the knowledge flowing through him as he absorbed technique after technique of the Anything-Goes School. The Forbidden Techniques were just the tip of the iceberg of an Art developed through two skilled masters. Sure they were the pinnacles of both schools but the foundation was just as important.  
  
To top that off some old woman had just trounced both Masters as if they were nothing then offered to train him.  
  
Today was the end of a very long and very confusing training regimen. What the hell did chestnuts have to do with anything? What was she talking about with those boulders? 


	9. Chapter Eight: Summer Vacation Blues

Sun Set  
  
Another Day is Done  
  
Sun Rise  
  
Time to have some Fun  
  
Time for Play  
  
Time for Games  
  
Time for a Demon to die Today  
  
Ranma jumped up onto a roof next to Akane.  
  
"Hey Akane-chan."  
  
"Hey Ranma."  
  
"The old ghoul has left for the beach for the summer. I'm heading there with the Tendo's and oyaji. Want to come?"  
  
Akane smiled. "Sure."  
  
Ranma later found Akane sitting down the beach on some high rocks looking over the waves.  
  
"I haven't been to the beach ever since the Change, that was a good summer for me. Kuno was no where around and Yuki and Sakura were with me. We had lots of fun." Akane sighed then shook her head. She depressed herself thinking about the past like that.  
  
"Anyway what do you think?" She gestured to herself. She was wearing a yellow strapless one-piece bathing suit.  
  
"Looks good on ya Akane-chan. You should wear yellow more often suits you."  
  
Her eyebrows raised. "When did you become an expert on fashion Ranma?"  
  
"Hey, I'm just saying it looks good on you."  
  
"Thanks Ranma, you find Cologne?"  
  
"Not yet. I was thinking of we could spar full out."  
  
"Sounds like fun. No restrictions?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"You first Akane."  
  
"If you insist." Akane grinned evilly.  
  
Suddenly Ranma's body was buffeted by dozens of blows all over his body hitting him with stunning force.  
  
Quickly upping her speed to Amaguriken Ranma put out a frantic defense. Once regaining her equilibrium she retaliated.  
  
Akane smile was feral as Ranma's blows began to strike home, almost as one they leapt back and began to power up for a chi blast.  
  
"PLASMA" "CRIMSON"  
  
"FLAAARE" "BEEEAAAM"  
  
Ranma jumped up just before she released her own attack, causing Akane to miss and Ranma's narrowly miss Akane as she dodged.  
  
Akane quickly attacked with her wings, flapping them at Amaguriken levels to send Ramna flying down the beach as the bullet-force winds hit him.  
  
Ranma groaned as she got up. "Good one Akane, but not good enough!"  
  
She rushed in to engage Akane once again in hand-to hand and quickly exploited Akane's over-extension by using a modified Judo throw to toss her into the rocks behind her.  
  
Not letting up for an instant Ranma mercilessly pounded Akane into the rocks. Stunning punches and kicks rocked Akane as she tried to retaliate.  
  
Then came Ranma's most devastating attack.  
  
"Saotome Anything-Goes Final Attack!" She paused dramatically.  
  
"TICKLE THEM UNTIL THEY GIVE UP!" Still going at amaguriken speeds he began to tickle Akane all over her body causing her to break into giggles and squeals.  
  
After valiantly trying to tickle Ranma back Akane manage to gasp out. "I... I... gi... give... u... up!"  
  
Ranma smiled and then held out her hand.  
  
"Another win for the great Saotome Ranma!"  
  
"Ha, great are you?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"We'll see about that!"  
  
Bringing her wings forward she launched her counter-attack. "Tendo Anything Goes Special Attack - Feather Tickle Storm!"  
  
Ranma was completely unprepared as the large black feathers moved over her.  
  
Laughing uncontrollably she fell backwards and tried to weather the attack.  
  
"You win Akane, you win."  
  
"HA another victory for Akane the Demoness, Eater of Demons!"  
  
Plopping down besides the gasping redhead she leaned her against Ranma's. Sighing deeply she curled her wing around Ranma pressing the smaller girl against her side.  
  
"Thanks Ranma."  
  
"Huh? What for?"  
  
"Nothing... Just thanks Ranma."  
  
Twisting slightly Ranma looked at Akane curiously "Oh Ok. Your welcome." She turned back around.  
  
Staring into the sea both girls sat there on the abandoned beach content in one another's company.  
  
"Where the hell is that old bag?" Ranma whispered murderously.  
  
"Who are you calling an old bag?" Came a question from behind her along with a sharp rap on the head. "Impertinent youngster."  
  
"Ghoul! Give me that pill!" She shouted turning around and seeing the fleeing form of the Matriarch.  
  
"Ah ah muko-dono, not until you agree to marry my Shan Pu."  
  
The chase was abruptly interrupted when Ranma kicked a stray bench after the old woman and a figure dropped down, cleanly slicing the bench in two and landing with grace and poise.  
  
"SHAN PU!" The figure cried and immediately hugged Ranma.  
  
"Who are you calling Shampoo?" Ranma said calmly her foot buried in the young man's face.  
  
"You're not my Shampoo." The young man swatted Ranma away after peering at Ranma through thick glasses.  
  
The man turned unerringly to Akane who was using the Umi- Sen-Ken to hide in the shadows.  
  
"SHAN PU I've found you at last!" He glomped Akane the same manner as Ranma.  
  
"Who are you calling Shampoo?" Akane growled.  
  
The man stumbled back at the sudden aura what he had thought was Shampoo suddenly erupted. Dropping her Umi-Sen-Ken caused everyone nearby to notice her and start fleeing in panic.  
  
"How dare you impersonate my Shampoo demon. DIE!" The man launched a large amount of weapons at Akane. Akane smiled slightly and sent two large gusts of air via her wings and disrupted most of the weapons so they missed. The ones that actually reached her she slapped to the ground easily.  
  
Suddenly Ranma was on top of the boy's head. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am Shan Pu's groom, Mu Suu."  
  
"You were bested Mousse, you cannot challenge Shan Pu any more." Cologne stated.  
  
"We were only three!"  
  
"Age makes no difference. Besides Ranma here has claimed Shampoo as his bride through tribal law." She pointed at the tiny _female_ redhead.  
  
"You are having the wondrous Shampoo marrying a WOMAN?"  
  
"He is Jusenkyou cursed."  
  
"The Demon?"  
  
"She is the Hunter."  
  
Mousse was silent, the Hunter, a sworn enemy of all those who practiced the Dark Arts.  
  
"I challenge you Saotome to a fight over." He raised a finger to point were his darling Shampoo was approaching the scene warily.  
  
"You can't claim Shampoo, she is already taken..." She chuckled as his finger moved towards Akane, "and I doubt that the Hunter would allow herself be claimed as a prize."  
  
Akane nodded her head angrily.  
  
"Then I shall claim that one!" He pointed to another figure in the shadows. Ranma and Akane were startled when Nabiki stepped out of the shadows.  
  
After a nervous glance at Akane she talked. "Now what have you gotten me into Saotome?" She asked sarcastically. Then she sighed. "You better win. If you don't I'll charge you extra interest on your debts."  
  
"Hey old ghoul how about I get the phoenix pill if I win." Ranma suddenly chirped after shuddering slightly from Nabiki's threat.  
  
It was perfect! A win/win scenario! Lose Nabiki or gain the pill.  
  
"Very well muko-dono."  
  
Ranma grinned. Shampoo, hearing the last said a bit fearfully. "Aiya Airen be very careful Mousse master of hidden weapons and he no like men getting close to Shampoo, is too, too jealous."  
  
"Ok Shampoo, thanks."  
  
Akane twitched as she watched Shampoo hang over Ranma, kami did she want to go and smack the bimbo off of her. Then smack Ranma for letting Shampoo hang over her.  
  
The twitching wouldn't stop as Shampoo hung all over the petite redhead. Though she wouldn't go as far as to kiss her she did practically everything else.  
  
The feeble protests of Akane's fiancée grated on her nerves, Akane wanted Ranma to scream them out instead of stuttering them like she had no will power.  
  
It was then she realized she was putting out an aura, not her normal blue-black aura that signified her Demon-like abilities but an honest-to-kami battle aura. Blue and red jealous rage surrounded her.  
  
Akane suddenly smirked, this would be perfect. Gathering a little of the anger into a ki ball no bigger then softball she let it fly straight at Shampoo.  
  
- Gotcha you hussy! - She thought triumphantly as the ki ball caused Shampoo to yelp and try to rub the burn on her back.  
  
Looking around then spotting Akane Ranma smiled at her in thanks, at least that what Akane thought it was.  
  
Akane's lips twitched in a small smile of her own then returned to the frown she had as she looked around for the challenger.  
  
Akane almost broke out laughing as she saw her ex-sister working the crowds. Same old Nabiki, even with Nabiki's father working in the dojo Nabiki still enjoyed making money.  
  
Mousse was in a quandary, how was he to deal with the Hunter? Even the Dark Arts libraries only had vague allusions and mentions of them in their histories. A second problem was Saotome; the fiend had stolen the right to be her wife.  
  
He should die for that, but it would be difficult to kill him without becoming the target of the old crone's wrath as well as suffering at the hands of the Hunter. He shuddered at the thought; the Hunters had a reputation of being cruel and merciless to those who had incurred their wrath. After all they learned from their prey on the best ways to torture and maim their victims.  
  
It was time.  
  
"A port-a-potty?" Ranma asked incredously after she had swiped the weapon out of Mousse's hands.  
  
"Saotome DIE!"  
  
"RAKING HAWKS TALONS"  
  
"WHOA!"  
  
"Ok that's it."  
  
"PLASMA FLARE!"  
  
**Thud**  
  
"The winner Saotome Ranma."  
  
"Well done Muko-Dono, as promised I will give you the phoenix pill." The old woman chuckled as she handed over the case.  
  
"Finally, I get to be a guy again!" Ranma opened the case and swallowed the pill inside of it.  
  
Grabbing a cup of tea out of someone's hands he dumped it over his head and felt the desired change without the pain hot water had caused him in the last few weeks.  
  
"YATTA!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Hello Ryoga."  
  
"Elder." He bowed politely. "I haven't seen you in a while."  
  
"I was busy with the restaurant, I was wondering if you will taking up my offer for me to train you."  
  
"I have thought about it Elder, I will train with you."  
  
Ryoga scowled at the memory, he had challenged Ranma to a match a few days ago and it had ended dismally, Ranma was faster then ever and his single blows had carried more strength then Ryoga had ever expected.  
  
The old crone laughed. "By the time I'm done with you, you will be able to stand up to Ranma." Her eyes glittered in mirth. "I will train you up on Mt. Terror."  
  
Akane frowned, she didn't understand why she was so emotional over little things like Shampoo hugging Ranma, or him teasing her, or him managing to say a nice thing in midst the foot-in-mouth techniques which he had mastered over the years with his father.  
  
A year ago she was almost completely emotionless except for a deep sadness and loneliness. Now she couldn't go a day without getting angry with him or breaking out in a smile at Ranma.  
  
Watching Ranma move through a kata was beautiful in both his forms. Male he moved it like a panther through the jungle, sleek, graceful, and deadly, absolute control over his every action. Female she ripped through it like wind, fast, untouchable, fierce one moment gentle and soothing the next.  
  
When they sparred she was awed at his mastery of the Art, he could simply use his skill in it to counteract her greater strength and speed, though she was learning a lot it didn't match his ten years of experience solely practicing the Art.  
  
Akane looked at her hands and called her aura, the aura that enhanced her so much in her body. Blackness swirled with a dark blue, sometimes joining one another others just swirling around each other. She felt so powerful like this, She could take on Lords without it, and with it she seemed to grow a hundred times more powerful.  
  
Why?  
  
Why would she need so much power?  
  
Her mind turned to the Neko-Ken as her aura dissipated.  
  
The Neko-Ken, what was it really?  
  
Why was it in fragments?  
  
There was one thing she was grateful of the Neko-ken for.  
  
Ranma.  
  
It always came back to him.  
  
Ranma.  
  
He now meant everything to her.  
  
He had brought his friendship.  
  
He had taught her how to smile again.  
  
He had taught her how to feel again.  
  
And he was bringing more and more people to him who could talk to her without fear... without hatred.  
  
Cologne was merely the first; Akane could feel it in her bones.  
  
She would have another friend soon. A friend!  
  
And maybe... just maybe... in time... he would love her also.  
  
Ranma stared in mirror and willed himself to transform. He stared in fearful awe as his form shifted.  
  
If he was ever in a life or death battle he could lose his control over his form and he didn't want to lose control over the fight because he looked like a THING.  
  
He had to master his fear.  
  
Perhaps a training trip was in order so his father wouldn't nag him when he screamed in terror as he tested himself.  
  
Yes a training trip up to the mountains would do nicely.  
  
Ranma then looked at his hands.  
  
He had killed.  
  
Yes they were demons but he had killed.  
  
He remembered his father's gravelly voice. "Boy you must do anything you can to win, if it means killing then you kill. Life and death fights are just that, life and death. That is one of the facets of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. We win at whatever the cost."  
  
It still bothered him though.  
  
He turned his thoughts back to the trip he was planning.  
  
Maybe he would invite Akane along to keep his edge up while he tried to train the fear of cats out of himself.  
  
Plus it was always nice to spend time with Akane.  
  
She smiled broadly at him, leaving him slightly stunned.  
  
"I'd love to go Ranma." She then began giggling slightly. "Just don't ask me to cook."  
  
"Huh? Why not?"  
  
"Trust me on this one, I could make toxic waste seem edible in comparison."  
  
She smiled a little sadly, she loved to cook but two years on her own had driven the point home. She was a terrible cook.  
  
"Ah come on, I'm sure you can improve."  
  
"You won't be saying that again." Akane grinned; maybe she would cook for him, just once.  
  
Ranma looked at the wok Akane had suspended over the campfire.  
  
"Is it supposed to be glowing pink? And are those yellow blobs moving on their own?"  
  
Akane smiled maliciously. "You promised you'd take a bite."  
  
Ranma's eyes widened as the... well what ever it was seemed to hiss as he neared it. "Yes I promised I'd taste it. But not that it would try and taste me!"  
  
She frowned at that. "Baka, just take a bite!" She bopped him on the head lightly with the ladle.  
  
"Fine one bite."  
  
A few minutes later.  
  
"Look at the pretty colors!" Ranma said as he walked around with the horrible taste in his mouth.  
  
"Ooh."  
  
"BAKA!"  
  
Akane stomped off. He really didn't have to say that her cooking tasted a thousand times worse then toxic waste.  
  
Akane wondered briefly where the mallet had come from though. She had never done that before.  
  
His head hurt, his stomach hurt and his mouth felt like something had dragged itself into it died, came back to life and died again in it.  
  
Then the rain started.  
  
"It couldn't get much worse."  
  
- Wonder where she got the mallet? -  
  
Well it was time to start training. She dragged out her small mirror.  
  
It got worse.  
  
"SAOTOME FOR STEALING MY SHAMPOO DIE!"  
  
"RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"  
  
The shouts came at once. "Aaaah!"  
  
She dodged the twenty large knives then ducked the umbrella.  
  
"Heya Ryoga." She said then turned to the second figure.  
  
"What's up Mousse?"  
  
**WHAP**  
  
**WHAP**  
  
"Now, now boys, stop playing around. I told you, you will be a match for Ranma when I'm done training with you."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Ghoul?"  
  
**WHAP** "Who are you calling a ghoul?"  
  
"Owwwwww. What is it with girls and hitting me over the head with blunt objects?"  
  
Cologne chuckled. "These two ingrates have asked for training, I was bored so I closed the restaurant for a while and decided to help them."  
  
"OK ghoul, can't wait to see your results!"  
  
**WHAP** "Stop calling that. Oh and Ranma, if you seek to master the fear of cats come and ask me. I'll be glad to help."  
  
Ranma's eyes widened. "How did you know I was here to conquer my fear of cats?"  
  
She merely cackled as she dragged the comatose boys away.  
  
Akane glanced unbelievingly around the camp. "What happened here?" It looked like someone had attacked it, with grenades.  
  
Ranma looked up from the campfire where she was heating up some quick food.  
  
"Ryoga and Mousse, Cologne said she was training them here."  
  
"Really? I wonder why."  
  
"She said something about being bored." She turned around and picked up the handheld mirror.  
  
"Well here goes."  
  
Her form shifted, it shrunk slightly, and fine red fur covered her entire body. Ranma grew even leaner looking and her features were feral.  
  
Akane blinked what a difference between male and female forms. Where Ranma looked like a large panther in his male form, female Ranma-neko looked like a wild half-grown kitten.  
  
Ranma shuddered as she looked at her face in the mirror; she was even more catlike female then the mirror.  
  
"C-c-c-c-c-c-a-cat." Her fur bristled as fear rose in her. No she HAD to master the fear, she just had too.  
  
Slowly she calmed herself down. It was hard, she looked like a monster, someone that clawed and bit and tore out throats and eyes.  
  
"How are you doing Ranma?"  
  
"O-o-o-k-k" She managed to get out.  
  
"Maybe sparring will help you get used to that form Ranma."  
  
"M-M-Maybe."  
  
"Light, first to fall loses, no specials?"  
  
"S-s-sure."  
  
They started out slowly, feather light blows and blocks. As the battle progressed Ranma grew more relaxed and began to speed up.  
  
Matching Ranma blow for blow Akane grinned, Ranma always was the most relaxed in battle, it had been a good idea to spar.  
  
Akane mentally raised her eyebrows as the speed increased beyond Ranma's old limits, and kept on growing.  
  
Both were now merely blurs bounding across the camp.  
  
Ranma speed stopped increasing and Akane slopped off also, easily evading most of her blows and managing to slip a few in between Ranma's own defenses.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
Ranma gave a shaky grin that was a pale shadow of her familiar cocky smirk. "Sure."  
  
Soon the blows became full powered and Akane staggered slightly in surprise. That had stung!  
  
Ranma-neko was a powerful adversary!  
  
Ranma quickly took the advantage and soon Akane was on her back.  
  
"How are you feeling Ranma?" She asked after she easily got up, light bruises already fading.  
  
"OK, thanks Akane, it was a good idea to spar."  
  
"Well someone has to think for you."  
  
"Oh? Who?"  
  
Akane chuckled at that, good Ranma was getting even more relaxed. "Certainly not you Ranma, I guess I would be the thinker of this little group."  
  
"Hmm is that so?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Oh really? Well Demoness Akane-Chan, who hasn't been to school in two years?"  
  
Their bickering continued all night as Ranma got increasingly used to her neko form.  
  
Ranma looked at Akane curiously, the last few days had been fairly good, they sparred, and he had gotten used to his male and female neko forms.  
  
Akane had been curious as what the old ghoul was teaching the two boys.  
  
Now she was pacing the camp a worried expression on her face, muttering something about bakusai tenketsu.  
  
"What's up Akane?"  
  
"Oh, the Elder is teaching Mousse and Ryoga something called the bakusai tenketsu technique. She shattered a boulder into gravel with a touch."  
  
Ranma's eyes widened. "Sounds interesting."  
  
"Maybe we should be a bit cautious. The old woman is also teaching them the amaguriken."  
  
"The ghoul is serious about this isn't she?"  
  
Akane nodded, then grinned, she had watched the Elder prepare everything and demonstrate it.  
  
Maybe she could learn it, with Ranma alongside her.  
  
"I have an idea Ranma, why don't we try to learn it to?"  
  
Ranma grinned and nodded a new technique!  
  
The small figure slipped back to the camp where the two boys recovered from their day of being smashed by a boulder and burning themselves trying to retrieve chestnuts from an open fire.  
  
So the Hunter had decided to try her hand at learning the bakusai tenketsu, this was worrisome but not so much that she would have to interfere. Ranma would have learned it eventually.  
  
That was the problem, unless she actually saw the Hunter she was very difficult to sense. If the Hunter actively tried to hide her it became practically impossible.  
  
There also was the fact that the Hunter's aura was effective on her as it was on everyone else, she just ignored its effects having had to learn early on in her life that magic based fear just grew stronger if you paid attention to it.  
  
Ryoga stared at his supper, though the bakusai tenketsu technique and the katchyuu tenshin amaguriken were both very useful techniques they wouldn't be enough. Oh sure if he got the drop on Ranma he could possible disable him enough to get him hurt enough to drop him off the threat list.  
  
Then Ryoga would die at the hands of the Demon.  
  
He was pretty sure the Demon would be immune to the bakusai tenketsu also.  
  
Mousse knew living things were ineffective with the breaking point. Actually he was surprised the crone was willing him to teach him the two most basic Amazon techniques, she had never shown any favor for him before.  
  
Mousse had a sneaking suspicion that Cologne was using him to further train Saotome, why though?  
  
No elder had actually ever encouraged a male like this before. It was troublesome and spoke of the Elder's determination to get Ranma into the tribe.  
  
Saotome would NOT get his Shan Pu!  
  
The Hunter...  
  
What to do?  
  
He was no match for her, even if he managed to destroy her current body he didn't have enough power to destroy her essence, it would take someone far more versed in the Dark Arts to dispel her.  
  
He was actually lucky she hadn't noticed his skill in magic.  
  
Nabiki paced back and forth in her room, the more she thought of the past few years the more sure she grew.  
  
Her sister, not ex-sister, her sister Akane was a victim here. Nabiki could tell she had let herself be ruled by emotions, unfamiliar emotions.  
  
She had jumped to conclusions and kept to a blind faith that Akane HAD to be evil.  
  
Which was unlike her.  
  
Someone had hurt her family; someone had drove her baby sister away. Her real sister, Kasumi was more like a surrogate mother then sister.  
  
First things first...  
  
She had to find out how.  
  
Then she had to find out why.  
  
Then she had to find out whom.  
  
Nabiki sighed; it was time to bring her family back together.  
  
Genma looked into the night, he hated to admit it but he missed his son. How could that demon steal his only child away from him?  
  
His heir?  
  
His pride and joy, the best user of the Art for his generation.  
  
Ryoga was a fine lad, but he wasn't Ranma.  
  
Soun sat besides his old friend concerned. Nabiki had been acting more off then usual. Ever since the ... incident two years ago the Tendo family had established roles, Soun brought in the money, Nabiki managed it and Kasumi managed the household.  
  
They acted like a family.  
  
Now Nabiki was more distant then she had been after her mother had died, something was troubling his little girl and she wouldn't tell him what.  
  
In a place that wasn't a place a figure stared at a gate that showed a thousand possible futures worriedly.  
  
It was gone, despite all her hard work, all the sacrifices she had made, and it was gone.  
  
And she didn't know why.  
  
A shadow stirred, the time would come...  
  
The time would come.  
  
Well here it is, Chapter eight of On Wings of Black. Next chapter we will have the emergence of some very powerful enemies. 


	10. Chapter Nine: The Bloody Trial

Blackness surrounds us  
  
Screams pierce the dark  
  
Mommy... Poppa... gone  
  
Light surrounds us  
  
The bad things go POOF!  
  
Where is mommy?  
  
Where is poppa?  
  
Ranma stood in a small clearing facing Ryoga, Mousse was waiting by the sidelines and Cologne and Akane were up in the trees watching the spectacle.  
  
It had been a tiring week for all parties, Ryoga and Mousse had both managed to master the Bakusai Tenkatsu though Mousse was the only one who had managed to get his speed up to master the Katchyuu Tenshin Amaguriken.  
  
Ranma still was slightly sore from the bakusai tenkatsu training, though he hadn't mastered it yet it was still a matter of time, he had been only working on it for two days, while his two opponents had had the entire week.  
  
Akane was probably at the same stage as him, though she didn't seem to be bothered at all by being slammed into a boulder twice a day.  
  
Ryoga charged the pigtailed boy, surprising him slightly with his speed. Ranma ducked under Ryoga's outstretched finger and used the speed that came naturally to him from sparring with Akane to deflect the flying debris of the bakusai tenkatsu.  
  
Ranma redirected the second attack and spun around with a crescent kick slamming Ryoga into a small rocky outcropping.  
  
It had felt like he had been hitting concrete.  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he watched the lost boy get up. "Heh Ranma that felt like a babies kick." The lost boy smirked.  
  
Ranma blinked, and studied the boy as they circled one another. He was faster, and tougher, a lot tougher. Ryoga charged again this time stabbing the ground to confuse Ranma with the shards of rocks.  
  
Ranma smirked. "Using a smoke screen Ryoga?"  
  
"HAAAAAA!" Ryoga's shout and him emerging from the cloud of dust with his finger outstretched was his only answer.  
  
"Bakusai Tenkatsu Block!" Ranma captured the lost boy's finger in between two of his own.  
  
Ryoga quickly brought his other finger around and Ranma repeated the block with his other hand.  
  
Ryoga head butted Ranma and Ranma snarled. "Fine lets end this!"  
  
He retaliated with a hard reverse crescent kick that launched Ryoga into one of the many rocky outcroppings in the area, cracking it and causing it to collapse over the lost boy.  
  
"Heh didn't have much did he?"  
  
Surprise became evident as Ryoga stood up, tumbling the rocks and small boulders that had landed on him.  
  
"I told you Ranma, that felt like a babies kick, you don't have enough strength to hurt me."  
  
Ranma grinned at that, he had been holding back, he hadn't even unleashed his battle aura yet.  
  
"Maybe Ryoga, but maybe not." Ranma let some of the control over his strength slips, he began glowing ever so slightly.  
  
"More tricks Ranma?"  
  
"No."  
  
Ryoga knew he was outclassed, but he knew that even before the beginning of the challenge, this was too see where he stood against his foe.  
  
Suddenly his hands shot out, blurring slightly as they lashed at the ground in front of him, a veritable wall of flying shards engulfed the two fighters. Not harming Ryoga in the slightest, but leaving Ranma bloody with cuts and scrapes all over his body except his face, where he had blocked the flying stones.  
  
Ranma ignored the damage as he blurred into the amaguriken, dozens of blows in less then a second rocked the lost boy sending him staggering back, for the first time in the fight feeling some pain.  
  
Ryoga lashed out again, this time not trying the bakusai tenkatsu, as he felt Ranma moving inside his reach he desperately kicked out, trying to force his attacker out so he could gain his bearings.  
  
Ranma seemed to bend slightly around the attack then lashed out with a second amaguriken, causing Ryoga to fly bent over into the shrubbery.  
  
"So muko-dono is using his speed training to good effect, I wonder how long he can last with those injuries?"  
  
Akane glanced at the woman beside her. "He's already won hasn't he?"  
  
"Not yet child." Cologne pointed with her staff at the staggering figure.  
  
"Well Ranma, how long can you last?"  
  
Ranma cursed, Ryoga had injured him and he was already feeling slightly faint at the blood loss.  
  
"Long enough to defeat you piggy!" Ranma charged the lost boy, leaping into a jump kick, which sent the cursed martial artist flying. Rolling with Ryoga they came to a stop with Ranma readying a final amaguriken, almost a hundred blows rocked Ryoga causing him to black out from the pain.  
  
Beneath the two the rock began to crack.  
  
Akane started as the two figures began to fall. She then leaped out of the tree and quickly flew over the spot the two had just been, seeing them still falling she folded her wings and blurred to catch the two martial artists.  
  
"You ok Ranma?" She asked slightly worriedly, it looked like Ranma had been dragged through a gravel pit.  
  
"Fine Akane, just let me catch my breath." The pigtailed martial artist turned and glared at the old woman.  
  
"How could you teach Ryoga something like the bakusai tenkatsu?"  
  
"Relax muko-dono" The old woman tapped Ranma on the forehead. "It's useless on humans, only works on rocks, was developed by construction workers."  
  
Ranma shivered slightly, thinking he was going to explode soon. "I said relax."  
  
The old woman then cackled and bounced off. She called over her shoulder as she left "Tell Ryoga to continue to practice the katchyuu tenshin amaguriken."  
  
Akane nodded and looked on with worry at her fiancé. He was looking pale.  
  
Akane smirked down at the redhead as she trudged down the road towards the clinic, Ranma had recovered quite well after her battle and was in top spirits. They had planned to continue the bakusai tenkatsu training at home and everything was looking up.  
  
Those spirits were dashed when it rained for the entire trip home, and now they were nearing the clinic.  
  
Suddenly Akane's head shot up.  
  
DEMONS!  
  
Dozens of them, all throughout Nerima!  
  
"Ranma, you got to go to the Dojo, quickly, there are demons there! I'll deal with the rest around Nerima."  
  
Ranma paled at the news, demons in Nerima?  
  
She nodded and shot off.  
  
Ranma stopped shocked as the tore through the dojo gate. All five of the hulking beasts looked up as she entered.  
  
Kasumi was lying on the grass near the cherry tree, her face pale and her body was limp. The rise and fall of her chest proved that she was alive to Ranma's relief after one heart stopping moment.  
  
Red drowned her vision.  
  
They had hurt Kasumi, the gentlest most caring person on Earth, a woman who wouldn't harm a fly.  
  
Ranma would drink their blood and make them suffer!  
  
Slowly a steady growl began to emerge from her chest as she gave herself into the feeling.  
  
The growl grew louder and then with an inaudible snap the neko-ken kicked in.  
  
The cat looked around, rage dominating her features.  
  
THERE!  
  
PREY!  
  
The prey would DIE!  
  
The demons were shocked at the sudden surge of power, frozen, until the small redhead leapt at the closest demon and tore out its throat with its bare teeth.  
  
Snarling Ranma-Neko turned and glared at the other demons, unheeding the liquid running down her face.  
  
They looked at one another and nodded. As one being they charged to avenge their brother.  
  
The were-cat seemed to melt around their attacks lashing out with invisible claws that tore deep furrows in their skin. One tried to block an attack and watched with astonishment as its arm thumped onto the ground.  
  
A few seconds later it watched it's entire body separate into four pieces. Shock was the only expression on its inhuman face.  
  
Ramna-Neko crouched amidst its remains.  
  
The other three demons looked warily at one another and began to back away. Ranma was on them in a flash, demon blood spraying the Dojo's walls.  
  
Akane passed over the clinic on her way to the closest Demon's she had sensed, she noticed how Doctor Tofu rushed out of the clinic moving at a speed that was almost inhuman.  
  
That chilled her, Kasumi and Dr. Tofu were pair of those lucky beings who were soul mates. For Tofu to be going that fast meant that Kasumi was in grave danger, she only hoped Ranma dealt with the trouble in time.  
  
Akane snarled as she realized she was not going fast enough.  
  
People were dying.  
  
Her Nerima was being attacked  
  
Immediately her full aura came out. For an instant Akane was no more.  
  
Then where she had been before was a globe of black-blue energy no bigger then a marble.  
  
It expanded immensely blanketing the entirety of Nerima, causing the entire ward to plunge into darkness.  
  
Darkness that made humans and demons alike quiver in fear.  
  
The Hunter was here.  
  
Humans ran into their homes, trying to escape the awful darkness. Doctor Tofu ignored it, racing towards his beloved.  
  
Demons froze in what awful tasks they were doing and began to move out of the ward...  
  
They were too slow.  
  
The darkness seemed to solidify around each Demon, holding them in place and slowly dissolving their physical bodies at the same time.  
  
Minutes later the first demon began to scream.  
  
The awful symphony of dozens of demons screaming in torment suddenly pierced the ward.  
  
One by one the demons form's crumpled into dust.  
  
The darkness that was the Hunter at her most powerful began to shrink back to her normal form. Power surged over the ovoid sphere of blackness that she became, golden energy that crackled and twisted like lightning coursed over her form, finally gathering near the top of the black ovoid to form her eyes.  
  
The next things to appear were her wings. They exploded from the sphere, black soft feathers outspread fully.  
  
Finally her body came back into being. The aura faded away completely.  
  
Demoness Akane slumped into unconsciousness totally exhausted.  
  
Ranma woke up to the sounds of a radio playing in the background.  
  
"...The various demon hunters in Tokyo say that this has been the worst demon attack in the history of the city. Nerima has already been a little odd but demon reports of demon activity have gone up drastically since the Demoness Akane has established herself in this ward.  
  
With over one hundred casualties over half of them dead or critically injured the people of Nerima are in a state of shock. The only thing that saved Nerima from becoming a ghost town was the fact that all the demons mysteriously died when a dome of blackness covered the district..."  
  
Ranma turned around and saw Doctor Tofu tending Kasumi on the other futon.  
  
"Heya doc. What happened?" She croaked she felt awfully sore.  
  
"Hello Ranma. Well when I got here Kasumi was knocked unconscious, only a minor concussion thanks the kami. You were slumped on the ground unconscious but otherwise unhurt in the midst of several dead Demons, I guess I have you to thank for saving her."  
  
Ranma gave a smirk. "Martial Artists duty and all that. Hey do you know where oyaji and Tendo-san are?"  
  
"No Ranma, I haven't seen either of them all day."  
  
"Tendo-san is going to freak when he sees this."  
  
"Quite possible Ramna, I'm just glad she's alright. " Doctor Tofu sat back, and watched Kasumi lay there, completely at peace. Smiling slightly even in her sleep.  
  
"Same Doc, she's probably the nicest girl I know... " - ...besides Akane. - He finished silently.  
  
- Akane! - He sat up abruptly.  
  
"Something the matter Ranma?"  
  
"No."  
  
Closing his eyes he reached for the part of himself had had given Akane. Ranma sighed in relief as he felt Akane's heart beat. She was ok. Though he could tell she was exhausted and her chi was nearly depleted, she would need someone to help her.  
  
"I'm going to check around for more demons ok doc?"  
  
"OK Ranma."  
  
Ranma walked out of the dojo and began to roof hop towards Akane.  
  
Ranma finally reached where Akane was, Furinken High, she looked like she was on top of the clock tower that was situated in the center of the building.  
  
Ranma leaped to the third story windowsill and then used that to leap to the roof. He grimaced as he looked at the tower; it would take more then his current strength to get at it.  
  
Looking around for anyone nearby he quickly shifted to Neko form, bunching his powerful legs he leapt to the clock tower.  
  
Shifting back he looked around and then violently blushed, Akane was completely naked.  
  
Ranma quickly shucked his pants and shirt, face red he dressed her, taking care to not too look to much he finished putting the pants on her. The shirt was a problem, her wings made it difficult to properly dress her, Ranma could see why she used low-backed leotards.  
  
Putting his shirt back on he folded her wings over her front and picked her up. Ranma marveled at her lightness. He expected her to much heavier because of the strength of her blows.  
  
Ranma looked off the clock tower; down was always easier then up. Taking a little leap he found himself rushing towards the ground.  
  
Landing with gentleness the made it seem he had just jumped off a low curb instead of seven or eight stories up he began to sprint towards the closest of Akane's hideouts.  
  
Darkness...  
  
She was tired... kami so tired.  
  
Belatedly she realized it was dark because she had her eyes closed.  
  
Without opening her eyes she reached out with her senses.  
  
She broke out into a smile when she realized Ranma was there.  
  
Reaching out blindly she seized him and brought him in close so she could snuggle.  
  
Ranma gave a startled squawk. "Akane? Whatcha doing?"  
  
"Tired, sleepy." She murmured and then promptly went back to sleep, content that she would be safe.  
  
Kami she was strong, he couldn't move, not only did her arms have a death-grip around his waist but her wings were pinning him, despite their light weight he couldn't budge them an inch.  
  
Ranma felt color raising to his face as another fact came to him.  
  
Akane was still half-naked.  
  
She was going to kill him when she woke up!  
  
Akane stirred again, though she still felt tired it wasn't the same bone-wearying numbness as before.  
  
Awareness of her surroundings slowly swept over her.  
  
One... she was curled up against someone...  
  
Two... her arms were around that someone and his arms were around her...  
  
Three... She could feel those arms around her bare back...  
  
Four... It felt very nice...  
  
Waitasec, her BARE back?  
  
She was instantly awake. Her eyes shot open.  
  
"HENTAI!!!!!!!"  
  
**WHAM**  
  
"RANMA WHAT WERE YOU DOING?"  
  
Akane stared furiously at Ranma.  
  
- How could he? - Were her only thoughts as she glared at him.  
  
Ranma groaned from the crater against the wall. Her face was red in embarrassment and rage, a vein throbbed on her forehead and her fists were clenched, her blue/rage battle aura lit the room with its intensity.  
  
The only reason she didn't let her temper control her was whatever else Ranma was he was her friend.  
  
How could he do that to her?  
  
Ranma awoke to pain and a very loud and angry Akane.  
  
"... WHAT WERE YOU DOING?"  
  
"It's not whatcha think Akane." He managed to babble as she started to stalk towards him with small angry steps.  
  
"Oh really? I woke up nearly naked with your arms around me!"  
  
"I found ya naked Akane on top of Furinken High. I woulda given ya my shirt as well as my pants but I couldn't get it on right." Ranma was now standing against the wall instead of plastered into it; it looked like he wished he melt through the wall.  
  
"I definitely don't remember going to sleep on top of Furinken High Ranma. Especially with no top on." Her teeth were slightly gritted.  
  
He shook his head. "I'm not lying Akane, that's where I found ya, I gave you my pants and adjusted your wings to cover your...ummm... front. " He flushed red and that.  
  
She calmed down a bit more, she knew one thing, Ranma had never lied to her before this.  
  
"All right Ranma I believe you. That doesn't explain why you had your arms around me though."  
  
"Would you believe that that was your idea?"  
  
"WHAT?" She shrieked in outrage, how could he expect her to believe that she would let him hug her like that without her remembering. Suddenly her checks flushed when a stray thought totally disrupted her rage.  
  
"In the middle of the night I was watching over you and you grabbed me after waking briefly before going back to sleep, I could barely move around."  
  
Akane thought and then let her anger completely disappear. She vaguely remembered something like that, but she had thought it had been a dream. "All right Ranma, I believe you." She repeated herself, then smiled to show Ranma that he was forgiven.  
  
Ranma let out the tension he had in his body and relaxed.  
  
After Akane had quickly slipped on one of her pilfered black leotards after Ranma had turned around and then slipped back on the pants Ranma had given the two of them sat on the small couch.  
  
After a few moments of silence Akane spoke. "So how'd you do against the demons Ranma?"  
  
"All right Akane-chan, According to Dr. Tofu I managed to stop them from doing anything besides giving Kasumi a light concussion."  
  
"According to Dr. Tofu?"  
  
"Ya I don't remember it, I blacked out once I saw Kasumi was hurt. How about you?"  
  
Akane looked puzzled. "I remember seeing Dr. Tofu run out of the clinic and then calling on my aura, then..." She paused confused. "...Nothing, I can't remember anything after that."  
  
"Huh, weird, we both blacked out?"  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
Ranma seemed reluctant to leave but he got up off the couch and smiled at her. "See you Demoness Akane-chan, I better go see how everyone's holding up."  
  
After rechecking the Tendo's and seeing everyone was Ok, he headed to the Neko-hanten.  
  
"Hey old ghoul everyone all right here?"  
  
**WHAP**  
  
"Everything's fine muko-dono, come to check on Shampoo have you?"  
  
"Sure, she's a friend."  
  
The old woman squinted at him and seemed to come to a decision.  
  
"Follow me... Ranma."  
  
"What's up you old bat?"  
  
**WHAP**  
  
"Show some respect for your elders muko-dono. As to `what's up' I want to talk to you about the Neko-Ken."  
  
Ranma followed the old woman to the back room and sat in the chair she gestured too.  
  
"A very, very long time ago even before the Amazons were formed the Neko-Ken was whole, only the greatest of warriors could even aspire to be selected for the test to be granted the bonding of the Shadow known as the Neko-Ken."  
  
She tapped her staff lightly on the book in front of her.  
  
"The greatest warriors would have to go through the First Trial of the Neko-Ken. I believe you know what I'm talking about, after all you have gone through it."  
  
"The pit of c-c-c-cats?" He asked stumbling over the dread name.  
  
"Yes indeed, the pit of cats. It was also known as the Trial of Fear. The warrior would become so afraid that he or she would become a cat in mind. Then the Shadow would enter him."  
  
She paused.  
  
"That was the way it was supposed to be done. Unfortunately a very powerful sorcerer used magic and the help of several Demon Princes to bind Neko-Ken to himself. It's power and the fact that he hadn't gone through the thirteen Trials of the Neko-Ken drove him mad. For four hundred years he terrorized most of Asia."  
  
He visage grew grim... well grimmer.  
  
"Around two hundred years after binding himself to the Neko-Ken the man had his army slaughter and rape a city in what is now the place where the Joketsuzoku tribe's village stands. He only left the girls aged between six and fifteen alive, most traumatized by their brutal treatment. They swore revenge and never to let that happen to them again. Those were my ancestors child."  
  
Ranma shuddered at the implications.  
  
"It took two hundred years of hardship and struggle but it paid off. With the help of a Demon Warlord my ancestors managed to do the impossible, the broke the Neko-Ken, in order to kill the man responsible my ancestors had to take away his power, the Shadow. Unfortunately they couldn't just destroy its bonds; they had to break the Neko-Ken apart. It shattered into thirteen parts, representing the trials."  
  
"That child is how the Neko-Ken came to its present state. "  
  
"Child, you have undergone two of the thirteen trials. The first was Fear, the first trial of the Neko-Ken. The second was today, when you confronted those five demons today at the Tendo home. That one was known as the Trial of Bloodlust. You grew so enraged at the sight of a hurt one you desired to see your enemies bleed."  
  
The elder sighed.  
  
"Muko-Dono, Ranma, each trial is supposed to bring the person closer and closer to the cat which is the Neko-Ken. The third trial will be that of Trial of Berserk Fury, instead of totally regressing into the rage of bloodlust, or withdrawing from the world in fear you will have a modicum of control of it, a tiny portion of human intelligence only but some control. Each trial is like that, you gain more and more control and awareness of your actions. I wish you good luck muko-dono. However if you fail be warned, my people will be watching you, we swore we would never let the Neko-Ken be a threat again and if you have to die for that to happen then so be it."  
  
The old woman turned and hopped up the stairs leaving Ranma to stare into space. He didn't notice Shampoo until it was to late.  
  
"AIREN!"  
  
**GLOMP**  
  
**SPLASH**  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Ranma suddenly felt herself screaming and running around trying to dislodge a purple cat.  
  
Ranma later found himself panting near the pool in the high schools yard, Shampoo had become dislodged when he had crashed through the wall then chased him a good ways.  
  
"I can't believe it, Shampoo turned into a c-c-c-cat." He muttered as he turned and looked warily around then nodded to himself... good no Shampoo.  
  
Ranma wandered around town, watching the grim faced people go around their daily tasks.  
  
Yesterday's attack had really shaken the district; friends and family had been injured or killed in the unprecedented attack.  
  
Watching everyone Ranma grew grim and swore then to himself he would not let this happen again.  
  
Someone had known Akane had left her home and had informed the Demons of her absence.  
  
Ranma didn't notice the shadow above him as he trudged along the fence, eyes downcast.  
  
"So how is everyone Ranma?"  
  
"Oh hey Akane-Chan, your ex-family is all fine, Kasumi is resting in bed with Doctor Tofu looking after her, me and your pop are preparing to fortify the house so it will be harder to break in, Nabiki seemed ok. I headed over the Nekohanten to check on the old ghoul, she and Shampoo were fine I don't think they were attacked. She told me some things about the Neko-Ken." Ranma frowned deepened as he turned his thoughts to his other problems  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Ya, apparently when Kasumi was attacked I slipped into the Neko-Ken and underwent the second trial of the Neko-Ken."  
  
"The second trial?"  
  
"Ya apparently in order to master the Neko-Ken you have to undergo thirteen trials, the first involved the pit of c-cats, the second was... ummm... bloodlust or something like that."  
  
"What's the third trial?"  
  
"Berserk rage."  
  
Akane blinked. "How do you plan to do that?"  
  
"I have no idea Akane-chan, I have no idea."  
  
Kuno paced back and forth.  
  
"I have no choice, the foul sorcerer has made it so that the fair pigtailed one will never return mine affections. Not only does he perform the black arts he also is in league with the foul daemon Akane! Such a duo could spell doom for the world."  
  
The reason he had never taken this route before was because he would lose himself completely to the spirit within the sword.  
  
He slowly went into the dark mansion and approached a small shrine. Entering the shrine he stood in front of a Katana that was firmly set in a stone pedestal.  
  
"I AM KUNO TATEWAKI, DESCENDANT OF THE GREATEST DEMON HUNTER IN JAPAN. BY THE GREAT ONES I ASK OF THEE TO RID THIS WORLD OF EVIL. I BIND MYSELF TO THEE WITH MY LIFE'S BLOOD!"  
  
His voice seemed to echo throughout like mighty peals of thunder.  
  
He grasped the katana just above the hilt, causing the sharp edges to bite into his flesh. In response a glow appeared then intensified. Soon an explosion rocked the estate  
  
Mousse scowled at the waters in front of him. Thanks to the guide's ineptness now he was cursed to become a duck. How in the seven hells did a duck drown?  
  
Maybe turning Saotome into a duck would dissuade him from Shampoo and prevent him from helping the Hunter.  
  
No, he had learned from the old bag that Ranma was afraid of cats, what would be more fitting punishment then to drive Ranma insane with fear.  
  
Maybe the Hunter would be affected by Jusenkyou also... now what curse would be most suitable?  
  
**GALUMP**  
  
**GALUMP**  
  
**GALUMP**  
  
**GALUMP**  
  
"It's a runaway horse! Get out of the way!"  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH SHAMPOO GO AWAY!!!"  
  
**CRASH**  
  
**BANG**  
  
Akane clutched her sides laughing in near agony, she stopped for a few minutes as she gasped for breath and looked at Ranma. She then broke out laughing again when as she saw his sullen expression.  
  
"Oh sure laugh it up."  
  
"So-sorry Ranma, it's just you were competing with a monkey in a Martial Arts Tea Ceremony contest, to marry the guy at that. It just sounds so stupid!"  
  
"Hey the monkey was good! And it was a challenge, I never turn down a challenge!" He then grinned sheepishly. "You're right it does sound kinda funny."  
  
Both of them heard a click of the door opening behind them.  
  
"Ranma? Akane? Could... ummm... Could I talk to you?" Both of them stared in surprise at the meek form of Nabiki standing in the doorway.  
  
Well here it is, On Wings of Black 9  
  
Hope you enjoyed the latest installment, ya this chapter was a little dark, don't worry it'll lighten up again.  
  
I've noticed the woman of the Takahashi Universe respond to most unwanted situations involving Ranma with physical violence... on Ranma.  
  
In fact I remember when Ranma pretending to be Soun's wife swatted Soun on the head with a mallet when Miss Hinako was proposing to him.  
  
Part of the humor of her work.  
  
It's true for ALL the fiancees of Ranma. Akane just gets picked on more because she is around Ranma the most.  
  
Shampoo swats him with her large Bonbori.  
  
Ukyou uses her Giant Spatula.  
  
Akane, well she uses everything from her fists and feet to large stone objects to miscellaneous furniture.  
  
The thing is Akane and Ranma ARGUE more then Ranma and Ukyo, or Shampoo and Ranma. What do you expect? They are forcefully engaged to each other against their will and are to stubborn to admit that they might just like the other, simple because that would make their father's right in forcing them to get engaged.  
  
What does this have to do with the story?  
  
Nothing... I just wanted to put forth my opinion on the whole Anti-Akane thingy that portrays Akane as a violent bitch.  
  
Well on to the relevant portion of my Author's Notes, Akane's reaction to waking up in Ranma's arms.  
  
What woman wouldn't violently shove someone away they don't remember going to sleep with?  
  
Especially if they woke up half-naked when the definitely didn't go to sleep in that state at that!  
  
When Akane found out it was Ranma she felt slightly betrayed, yet she was relieved to find out Ranma was innocent of any wrongdoing, she actually gave him a chance to explain himself!  
  
Heaven forbid, Akane LISTENING to Ranma's explanations!  
  
THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING! 


End file.
